Libya to close major migrants detention centers

Libya’s interior minister, Fathi Bashagha, has announced plans to shut down three of the country’s largest migrant detention centres.

This announcement comes after criticism that migrants returned to the Tajoura detention centre, which had been hit by a missile in July, leading to the death of more than 20 migrants held there.

The centre is also close to the fighting between the un-recognised government in the capital, Tripoli, and the Benghazi-based Libyan national army, which has vowed to take over the city.

Organisations that monitor the situation in Libya fear that these closures may lead to the remaining centres becoming even more overcrowded, and also the possibility of many migrants being left in the hands of traffickers.