Libya asks UNSMIL to support migrants’ voluntary return program

In a meeting between Libyan Interior Minister Emad al-Tarabelsi and Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya and head of UNSMIL, Al-Tarabelsi called for assistance from UNSMIl in supporting Libya’s voluntary return program for migrants. The International Organization for Migration has said that over 4,000 migrants have already been intercepted and returned to Libya this year, while 80 have died attempting to cross the Central Mediterranean. Al-Tarabelsi warned that without international support, Libya may have to resort to “forced deportation of illegal migrants,” highlighting the need to address the migration crisis across the region.