The African Union (AU) has agreed to evacuate some 15,000 African migrants in Libya before the end of year, the deputy chairman of the AU Commission, Kwesi Quartey, has tweeted.
The repatriations would be voluntary, and would be done in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), he added. At least 20,000 migrants are being held in government detention centres in Libya, Mr Quartey said.
The move follows reports that migrants are being sold in slave markets in the North African state, sparking global outrage. An urgent evacuation plan for migrants in Libyan detention camps was drawn at an AU-EU summit in Ivory Coast last week.
Mr Quartey said the AU will work with member states to facilitate the evacuation and the "sustainable reintegration" of migrants into their communities:
The #AfricanUnion, working together with the International Organization for Migration @IOM, will immediately put in place a #Voluntary Humanitarian Evacuation of #Migrants plan for our citizenry in #Libya as follows...: 1/3
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1. Implement a scaled-up evacuation process that will repatriate additional 15,000 migrants in #Libya currently in Govt-controlled detention centres before the end of year -there are currently atleast 20,000 migrants in Govt-controlled detention centres;.... 2/3
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2. Engage Member States whose nationals in #Libya are to be evacuated, with view to:
A. Identifying their nationals;
B. Issuing them emergency travel documents;
C. Providing flight & landing clearance;
D. Facilitating sustainable reintegration back home..3/3
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