Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2014 16:57:43 +0200
Libya coastguard detains hundreds of migrants
More than 400, mostly from the Horn of Africa, detained as they tried to
illegally cross to Europe in small boats.
Last updated: 11 Apr 2014 11:33
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Libya's coastguard has detained more than 400 immigrants, mostly from the
Horn of Africa, in its waters in the past two days after they tried to
illegally cross to Europe in small boats, Libyan officials say.
The coastguard picked up five boatloads of people. Warning shots were fired
at several vessels, and 78 people were rescued from a sinking ship, Qassem
Ayoub, a Libyan navy spokesman, said.
The deputy commander of naval operations, Mohammed al-Baty, said on Thursday
his office received information on Tuesday 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," Baty said.
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, Baty said.
"They were 46 people from various nationalities," he said.
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.
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.
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