The head of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Antonio Vitorino, announced on Wednesday, during a press briefing organized by the UN Correspondents Association in Geneva, that about 5,000 migrants are in official detention centres in Libya.
Vitorino said detention is not a solution and that the situation of migrants remains unacceptable, expressing concern about the existence of unofficial detention centers.
IOM is working in Libya with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide vital assistance to migrants in official detention centers.
Tens of thousands of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, Arab countries, and South Asia pass through Libya on their way to Europe, particularly via the Italian coast.
When they are intercepted, these migrants are taken back to detention centers regularly denounced by NGOs for mistreatment.