Libya – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) expresses its concern about reports on the deaths of five migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa in the Al-Nasr detention centre in Al Zawyah last week (01/04) and supports the UN's call for an independent and impartial investigation into the incident.

According to the latest available information, five detainees were fatally shot, with 11 more injured during a confrontation between a migrant and a guard. Four guards are also said to have been injured, with one remaining in critical condition. About 150 migrants are reported to have escaped, possibly as a result of the altercation. Reports are that 70 of those escapees have been returned to the centre.

IOM followed up immediately after the incident through its local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) partners who attend to injured migrants. Nine migrants were transferred to Al Zawyah hospital and others with minor injuries are being visited by the NGO doctors on a regular basis.  

The Al-Nasr detention centre is home to about 1,500 detained migrants who were intercepted at sea in March 2016. IOM will soon begin the process of registering detained migrants and start humanitarian repatriation procedures for those volunteering to return home.

IOM continues to implement programs providing immediate and life-saving direct assistance to migrants, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and local host communities in Libya. IOM also provides non-food items (NFIs) and hygiene kits to newly arrived migrants in detention centres, humanitarian repatriation for stranded migrants, capacity building for local implementing partners and Libyan officials as well as tracking displacement and migration patterns through the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM).

Since 2014 IOM has distributed NFIs to 17,868 stranded migrants in all DCIM detention centers in Zwara, Gharyan, Al Zawyah, Surman, Sabratah, Al Guwea, Al-Khums, Gharyan - Aburshada, Abu Sleem, Misrata, Al-Marsa (coastguards), Zleitin, Abu Sleem, Salah-Eldine and Suq Al-Ahed.

For further information please contact: Othman Belbeisi at IOM Libya, Mobile (in Tunisia): +216 296-00-389 Email: obelbeisi@iom.int or Maysa Khalil at IOM Libya, Mobile (in Tunisia): +216 296-00-388  Email: mkhalil@iom.int