An Arab human rights group on Monday called for international assistance to support approximately 360 sub-Saharan migrants who were found abandoned in the desert.
Libyan authorities reported that migrants were rescued after being abandoned in the desert by Tunisian police near the border with Libya.
The Arab Organization for Human Rights (AOHR), based in Cairo, expressed its appreciation for Libya’s efforts in providing refuge for the migrants who had faced challenging humanitarian circumstances before being rescued by Libyan border guards.
The Libya chapter of the Arab Organization for Human Rights (AOHR) stated that, as per Libyan border guards, the 360 migrants, including women and children, require immediate humanitarian and medical assistance.
The AOHR appealed to Libyan authorities to authorize the involvement of relevant bodies, such as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the International Organization for Migration, in order to facilitate their meeting with the migrants and provide support with legal procedures.
Libya’s interior ministry said on Monday it had documented the expulsions by the Tunisian authorities towards the Libyan border.
Journalists reported on Sunday that Libyan border patrols had rescued a group of migrants who were abandoned in the desert near the border with Tunisia. These migrants had been left without water, food, or shelter.
Following racial tensions in early July in Sfax, Tunisia’s second-largest city, hundreds of migrants from sub-Saharan African countries were forcefully transported to harsh and remote areas along the borders of Libya and Algeria.
The unrest erupted following an altercation between local residents and migrants, resulting in the death of a Tunisian man on July 3.
The port of Sfax serves as a departure point for numerous migrants hailing from impoverished and conflict-ridden countries.