Somali migrants are detained on Libyan coast

(29 Jun 2015) LEAD IN
More than 100 Somali migrants have been arrested in the Libyan coastal town of Tajoura, near Tripoli.
They are some of the thousands of illegal migrants who have crossed the southern borders of Libya in an attempt to sail across the Mediterranean to Europe.
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These Somali migrants, 37 women and 91 men, are waiting to find out what will happen to them next.
They've spent thousands of US dollars getting this far.
Some say they have even paid thousands more for the sea voyage to Europe.
But now they're in detention on the Libyan coast after being arrested on Sunday evening in a farm belonging to a smuggler.
"I came from Somalia, first we paid 5,000 US dollars to go from Somalia to Tripoli and then we paid another 2,000 US dollars for a boat to get us to Italy, from Tripoli to Italy," says Mahmoud Ahmed Ali.
"Today before we broke our fast (Ramadan feast at sunset) police came and arrested us, and now we are here, we do not know what will happen to us next," he says.
These migrants are among the thousands who have entered Libya in an attempt to sail to Europe across the Mediterranean.
Scattered security groups in Libya manage to capture dozens of migrants every day, but many thousands have sailed to Europe, and hundreds have died during the dangerous voyages.
So far this year, more than 114-thousand migrants have been rescued from the Mediterranean trying to reach Europe and some 2,600 have died or gone missing during the sea crossing, according to the International Organisation for Migration.
Somali migrant Nour Adam Osman is grateful the police in Tajoura at least brought them food so they could break their fast.
"We stayed in Tripoli for about 15 days, we paid about 7300 dollars, and today we were in the house that we are staying in and we are fasting today, the police came and arrested us, but thanks to God we are all brothers in Islam so they (policemen) brought us food to feast, thanks to God," Osman says.
Libya's security void has only added to the human-trafficking problem since the civil war broke out between Libyan political factions a year ago.
And since the ousting of Moammar Gadhafi back in 2011, the country has lacked effective, state institutions.
Libyan authorities have also refused to allow European Union naval operations in Libyan waters, as they consider it a breach to national sovereignty.
The operation is aimed at stopping human-traffickers from bringing migrants across the Mediterranean to Europe.
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[@ShaakirJoniur]

Libya mxay dhalinyar hami leh cishay 😡

[@YouTuberQays-bq4tz]

Sorry somali

[@Misbaax]

😢😢

[@hassanadan3115]

😢😢