Italian naval ships and vessels from nongovernmental groups rescued thousands of migrants off the Libyan coast on Monday, responding to the latest surge in desperate attempts to flee war, poverty and human traffickers.
The operation took place 13 miles north of Sabratha, Libya. Groups such as Proactiva Open Arms and Doctors Without Borders helped save about 3,000 people who had been traveling in some 20 small wooden boats.
The migrants, mainly from Eritrea and Somalia, cheered as the rescue boats arrived, with some jumping into the water and swimming toward them while others carefully carried babies. With boats unsuitable for a voyage across the Mediterranean to the shores of Italy, the migrants had set off with a bit of fuel in the overcrowded vessels, hoping to make it at least 15 to 20 miles out to sea to reach awaiting rescuers.
Tens of thousands of Africans take the dangerous Mediterranean Sea route as a gateway to a better life in Europe, alongside those fleeing wars in countries like Syria and Afghanistan.
The chaos and lack of border controls in Libya have made the country into a transit route. Since the 2011 ouster and killing of Libya’s longtime dictator, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, the country has sunk into lawlessness, with myriad militias vying for influence and an emerging Islamic State affiliate.
In June, the European Union expanded its anti-smuggling operation in the central Mediterranean to train Libyan coastal and naval forces. These forces are intercepting boats and returning migrants to Libya, where some are held in abusive conditions.
Rights groups and experts estimate that there are about 3,500 migrants in roughly 20 official detention facilities across Libya. Others are held in informal detention centers controlled by criminal gangs or armed groups.