By Libya Herald reporter.
Tunis, 5 June 2017:
At least seven African migrants suffocated to death in a parked van near to Garabulli, east of Tripoli, immigration officials said today.
Another 23, including five women, were found alive inside the van but suffering from a lack of oxygen. The migrants were reported to have been in the vehicle for two days. Officials made the shocking discovery after a trip-off.
Meanwhile in its latest report, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) says there are 351,382 migrants in Libya. They were largely from Nigeria, Egypt, Sudan, Chad, Mali and Niger.
Following interviews with a number of migrants, it said that just under 70 percent of them paid less than $1,000 for their journey. Thirty-five percent had been in Libya for at least a year, 33 percent for 6-12 months and 32 percent for less than six months.
The IOM interviewed 686 migrants, with the average age being 29 years old. Seventy percent had been unemployed before departing for Libya.
The IOM also revealed that the number of displaced Libyans is declining as people return home – particularly in Sirte and Benghazi. It puts the number of people who are now back home at 227,866.
Nonetheless, it says 256,615 people remain displaced. Of these, 24 percent were displaced in 2016, 45 percent in 2015 and 31 percent between 2011 and 2014.
Just over 87 percent of IDPs were housed in private accommodation and the remaining 13 percent were residing in makeshift locations: public buildings, schools, unfinished buildings or other forms of public shelter.
