UNHCR says number of migrants intercepted in Libya higher than those who arrived to Italy

The Address | Benghazi – Libya

LIBYA – Special Envoy of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Vincent Cochetel, revealed recently that UNHCR data on sea arrivals to Italy show that the number of people intercepted by the Libyan Coast Guard is higher than the number of sea arrivals from Libya in 2018.

Italy, interesting data on sea arrivals to #Italy. The number of people intercepted by the Libyan CG (14.500) is higher than the number of sea arrivals from Libya pic.twitter.com/UUysb3FsWa

— vincent cochetel (@cochetel) October 16, 2018

The people intercepted by the Libyan patrol boats since the beginning of the year were 14,500 while only 12,543 are those who, on the Libyan route, have landed in Italy, just over half of the total number.

Italy’s Minister of Interior and Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, also posted on Twitter an updated map showing the decline of the NGO ships in the coast of Libya, while claiming victory by stating that “the smugglers have finished doing their dirty work.”

🔴CARTINA AGGIORNATA
Grazie alla nostra azione, NESSUNA nave Ong è più davanti alla Libia, così gli scafisti hanno finito di fare il loro sporco lavoro.
E pensare che secondo il Pd le “migrazioni” erano “processi inevitabili, non ci si può far niente”…
Volere è potere! pic.twitter.com/CSN8lcEU5P

— Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) October 18, 2018

However, Italy’s Foreign Minister, Enzo Moavero Milanesi, recently stated that Libya is “unsafe” heaven for migrants whom suffer human rights abuses inside detention centers in the country, as reported by several human rights organizations.