In a recent law enforcement operation near the coastal city of Tobruk in northeastern Libya, a total of 385 Pakistani migrants, who were being held in human traffickers’ warehouses, have been rescued.
This significant development on Tuesday, revealing that the rescue took place in the Al Khueir area, south of Tobruk, with the migrants being released early on Monday.
Among those freed, Al-Abreen, a migrants’ rights group based in Tobruk, confirmed the presence of at least 11 children, some of whom were less than 10 years old. Some of the rescued migrants were found to be suffering from various diseases, including scabies, and were provided with much-needed food.
In response to the rescue operation, authorities sent the majority of the recovered migrants to a facility in Qunfudhah, near the city of Benghazi. However, 45 individuals are still being held.
As of now, there have been no official statements from either the Libyan or Pakistani governments, but it is anticipated that these migrants will likely face deportation.
Videos and pictures posted on Al-Abreen’s Facebook page depicted the conditions in which the migrants were found. Hundreds of people were seen sitting on the ground, appearing to be in dire need.
Volunteers and aid workers were observed distributing food and drink, with captions indicating that the migrants had not eaten for three days and lacked access to basic necessities.
