A “mass grave” was discovered this week in southwest Libya with the bodies of at least 65 migrants, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday (March 22), saying it was “deeply shocked and In the Army ". A spokesperson for this United Nations agency explained to AFP that the "common grave" had been discovered "by the authorities responsible for security" in the country, through which many exiles fleeing countries pass. African countries that are unstable or marked by economic difficulties and climate change.
“The circumstances of their death and their nationality remain unknown,” notes the IOM in a press release, which does not specify whether the bodies correspond to men or women. The organization believes the migrants died “during their clandestine crossing of the desert.”
The IOM also explains that the Libyan authorities are investigating these deaths, and "calls on them and partner UN agencies to ensure the recovery of the bodies with dignity, the identification and transfer of the bodies of the deceased migrants, to inform their families and to help them”.
“Each report of a missing migrant or human loss represents a grieving family seeking answers about a loved one or recognizing the tragedy of loss,” said an IOM spokesperson, cited in the press release.
Deadly migration route
According to IOM, the discovery of the mass grave highlights the urgent need to address the challenges of irregular migration, including through “a coordinated response to smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons.” “In the absence of regular pathways providing opportunities for legal migration, such tragedies will continue to occur along this route,” the agency continues.
According to IOM's Missing Migrants project, at least 3,129 migrant deaths and disappearances were recorded in 2023 along the Mediterranean route. This is the deadliest migratory route.
IOM calls on all governments and authorities along this migration route to strengthen regional cooperation to ensure the safety and protection of migrants, “regardless of their status and at all stages of their journey.”
