IOM urges EU to protect Libyan migrants

In order to ensure the protection of African migrants, the UN's International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has called the attention of the European Union to the need for safety of migrants fleeing Libya after an attack on Wednesday.

According to the BBC, forces loyal to Gen Khalifa Haftar fired missiles at the port in the Libyan capital on Tuesday, an attack that triggered the IOM's appeal on Wednesday.

Haftar's forces have been besieging Tripoli for the past 10 months.

About 200 migrants who had fled Libyan capital, Tripoli by boat were returned to the port hours after the city's main port was heavily shelled.

“Libya cannot wait," says IOM Libya Chief of Mission Federico Soda. "It is time for concrete action to ensure lives rescued at sea are taken to ports of safety, and to end the system of arbitrary detention.”

The IOM said the Mediterranean countries should share responsibility for providing safe havens to people rescued at sea.

At least 1,700 migrants have been intercepted or rescued and returned to Libya by the coast guard since the beginning of the new year. More than 3,000 others arrived in Italy and Malta, many of whom were rescued by NGO search and rescue vessels.

UN officials are hoping that talks between the two main warring sides in Libya can still resume after the internationally recognised government withdrew from them on Tuesday.