Libya: Deaths of African migrants increase in the Mediterranean

Tripoli – More than 1,400 people, mostly African migrants, drowned this year on the dangerous roads of the Mediterranean Sea in an attempt to reach Europe by boat.

It is less than half the deaths of people who died while migrating in search of greener pastures since the beginning of the year

The Missing Migrants Project the International Office of Migration (IOM) has identified 1,422 people who lost their lives in the sea. Mediterranean during the period

In total, the IOM project documented the death of 2,138 people during migrations to Europe in 2018.

Libya, torn by eternal conflict since the invasion by international forces Muammar Gaddafi Power is the gateway to the entrance of the Europe for migrants from all over sub-Saharan Africa

Many are fleeing war, poverty or persecution.

Christine Petré, IOM spokesperson in Libya, said since last week She added that until this year, the Libyan Coast Guard had sent 11,311 migrants to the Libyan coast.

Meanwhile, IOM reported that 47,637 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in the past Sunday.

The total compares to 101,392 arrivals at this time last year and more than 239,492 the same period in 2016.