MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th July, 2020) Thousands of refugees and migrants are subject to extreme rights abuses on the way from West or East Africa to the continent's Mediterranean coast before embarking on a dangerous sea journey to Europe, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Wednesday in a press release.
The UNHCR published a report on Wednesday, titled 'on this journey, no one cares if you live or die', which documented brutal treatment of migrants and refugees by smugglers, traffickers, militias, and even state officials.
"This report documents killings and widespread violence of the most brutal nature, perpetrated against desperate people fleeing war, violence and persecution. Strong leadership and concerted action are needed by States in the region, with support from the international community, to end these cruelties, protect the victims and prosecute the criminals responsible," UN High Rights Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said, as quoted in the press release.
The UNHCR mentioned that collecting data on deaths was extremely difficult but estimated that at least 1,750 people died on such journeys in 2018 and 2019. The UNHCR added that these deaths were "in addition to the thousands" who lost their lives or gone missing during attempts to reach Europe via the Mediterranean Sea route.
According to the press release, at least 70 people "are known to have died" this year already.
The United Nations agency added that crimes against migrants and refugees include sexual slavery, forced labor, torture and random killings.
The UNHCR also highlighted the situation in Libya, where militias, smugglers, and traffickers often act with impunity and thus migrants are at risk of greater abuses. The UN agency called on the international community to provide more assistance to the authorities in the fight against trafficking networks.
