- Title: LIBYA: Libya's coastguard detains more than 400 immigrants en route to Europe
- Date: 11th April 2014
- Summary: LIBYA, TRIPOLI (APRIL 10, 2014) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF POLICE STATION POLICE CARS OUTSIDE STATION VARIOUS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS BEING HELD AT POLICE STATION IMMIGRANTS SEATED AGAINST WALL CLOSE OF WOMAN VARIOUS OF DETAINED IMMIGRANTS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DEPUTY COMMANDER OF NAVAL OPERATIONS, MOHAMMED AL BATY, SAYING: "I received information two days ago indicating that the
- Embargoed: 26th April 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Libya
- Country: Libya
- Topics: Crime,International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVAD1UTNBLSLG2QS5PWXY27E97F9
- Story Text: Libya's coastguard detains more than 400 immigrants, mostly from the Horn of Africa, trying to illegally cross to Europe in small boats, many hoping to escape desperate conditions in their own countries.
Libya's coastguard has detained more than 400 immigrants, mostly from the Horn of Africa, in its waters in the past two days as they tried to illegally cross to Europe in small boats, Libyan officials said on Thursday (April 10).
The coastguard picked up five boatloads of people. Warning shots were fired at several vessels, and 78 people were rescued from a sinking ship, said navy spokesman Qassem Ayoub.
The deputy commander of naval operations, Mohammed al Baty, said his office received information on Tuesday (April 8) that a boatload of people would attempt to journey to Italy.
"I received information two days ago indicating that there is a small boat on the sea carrying illegal immigrants wanting to go to Italy," said al Baty.
Most of those taken into custody came from Somalia and Eritrea, and a handful were from Ghana and Nigeria. Some are held at a Tripoli police station and are being examined by a United Nations medical team, said al Baty.
"They were 46 people from various nationalities," he added.
According to the navy spokesman more than 400 people were detained in all, who said authorities suspected some boats had managed to make their way to the other side of the Mediterranean Sea prior to the recent detentions.
Many migrants from sub-Saharan Africa head to North Africa to escape from desperate conditions in their own countries, hoping to find work there or risk the perilous journey to Europe.
The Mediterranean can be treacherous in the fall and winter months, making spring and summer the best time for small boats with ill-equipped crews to cross the sea.
Italy alone rescued 4,000 migrants from boats trying to reach European shores in early April. At that point 15,000 migrants had already arrived there by sea since the start of the year.
Western powers say instability in post-Gaddafi Libya may have encouraged human traffickers to exploit the country's lawlessness.
The boats leaving Libya usually attempt to land on the Italian island of Lampedusa or Malta.
"We come for work but sometimes there is a situation (that) if the money that you get you want to take it back to your country, it is too small, so how? You can see that people (think) 'OK, if you go to Europe then you can survive.' And that is why (they) then cross in the sea," a man named Ibrahim from Ghana told Reuters at the police station.
Since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the number of immigrants passing through Libya has risen sharply and the country's coastguard and army are ill-equipped to stem the tide. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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