The bodies of 65 migrants were found in a mass grave in Libya

A mass grave containing the bodies of at least 65 migrants was found in southwestern Libya this week, the International Organization for Migration announced in a statement on Friday.

A spokesman for the UN agency confirmed to Agence France-Presse that the Libyan security forces were the ones who found the cemetery.

The organization expressed its “deep shock and concern,” noting that the circumstances of the migrants’ deaths “are not yet known.”

She added, “It is believed that they died during the process of being smuggled across the desert.”

After more than a decade of unrest since the overthrow and killing of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has turned into a fertile ground for human smugglers, who have long been accused of committing violations against migrants.

The UN organization expressed its appreciation for the Libyan authorities launching an investigation into the deaths of migrants and called on them to “ensure the recovery of the remains of deceased migrants, identify them, transfer them in a manner that preserves the dignity of the victims, and inform and assist their families.”

The need to move

A spokesman for the Organization for Migration said in a statement: “Every report of a missing migrant or the loss of a life means a family is grieving and searching for answers about their loved ones or confirmation of the tragedy of loss.”

He added, “The price of insufficient action is clear in the increase in deaths and the disturbing conditions in which migrants find themselves.”

The organization stated that these deaths demonstrate “the urgent need to address the challenges of unregulated migration through a coordinated response to migrant smuggling and human trafficking.”

She added, “In the absence of organized routes that provide opportunities for legal migration, this type of tragedy will continue to occur on this route.”

The IOM’s “Missing Migrants Project” reports that 3,129 deaths and missing persons were recorded in 2023 on the Mediterranean route to Europe, making it the migration route that causes the most deaths in the world.

The International Organization for Migration called on the authorities in the countries along this line to “strengthen regional cooperation to ensure the safety and protection of migrants, regardless of their status at the various stages of their journeys.”