Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticised the European Union for supporting Libyan forces in forcibly returning more than 3,800 irregular migrants to Libya over the past three months.
The rights group reported that at least 400 migrants have either died or gone missing at sea during the same period, raising concerns over the dangers facing those attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean.
Judith Sunderland, HRW’s Associate Director for Europe and Central Asia, criticized EU policies as "appalling", calling for a structured search and rescue operation to ensure migrants are disembarked in safe locations.
She urged the EU to realign with its core humanitarian values, stressing the need to reinstate official search and rescue missions to prevent further loss of life.
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