News reports in the recent months have confirmed that people smugglers are increasingly abusing migrants for personal gains, and human rights organizations constantly warn of human rights abuses and dire conditions in Libyan detention centers.
A group of Nigerian migrants held captive inside a detention center in Libya have been rescued after releasing a video taken on their phones. The footage went viral on social media and caught the attention of the authorities.
Germany and the EU have pressured Libyan authorities to do more to prevent migrants from crossing the Mediterranean. The Left party in the Bundestag has warned that refugees returned to Libya face "inhumane conditions."
Smugglers and human traffickers are reportedly impersonating UN staff in Libya, targeting desperate migrants and refugees hoping to reach Europe. Meanwhile, intensified fighting in the capital Tripoli continues to put the lives of migrants at great risk.
A group of migrants recently held a ground-breaking protest in Libya. The protesters, most of whom were Ethiopian or Eritrean, forced open the doors of a detention centre, where they were being held, and marched towards the capital, Tripoli, which was about 20 kilometres away.
Rome had threatened to return the 177 migrants to Libya amid a standoff with Malta over who should take them. Local media reports suggested it would take some negotiations before the migrants are allowed to disembark.
The crime of people smuggling carries a penalty of 5 to 15 years in prison and high fines. But usually, the people sent to prison are migrants who claim they were forced to navigate the Mediterranean by Libyan gangs who evade capture.
The Sarost 5 ship docked on Wednesday in the Tunisian port of Zarzis after Tunisian prime minister had given green light on Saturday. The ship had been stuck for weeks in limbo, unable to land after taking 40 migrants onboard that had been in distress at sea.
The difficulties, hopes and the fear of drowning imbue the stories of the migrants who landed on the Italian coast over the weekend. One of them, a woman, weighs only 35 kilos.
Since the 2015 migration crisis, EU member states have failed to agree on a common approach to irregular migration. From strengthening the EU's external borders to bolstering Frontex, DW examines the situation.
Migrants trying to reach Europe via the Mediterranean could be taken to 'disembarkation platforms' outside EU territory under a proposal from the UN refugee agency. The idea will be considered next week by European leaders amid a row over immigration policy.
The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, is now continuing with evacuation operations for vulnerable migrants in Libya. The organization emphasized the priority of this operation, saying that refugees there are "languishing in extreme conditions that threaten their life and wellbeing."