The International Organization for Migration (IOM), says it is scaling up the repatriation of African migrants suffering abuse and exploitation in Libya, mainly at the hands of the police and the militias.
The BBC reported that over the past few months, the IOM said that it has repatriated thousands of Africans from Libya, mainly to Burkina Faso, Gambia and Senegal.
In its latest operation a few days ago, the organization returned 117 migrants to Burkina Faso, including five women and two children.
IOM spokesman, Itayi Viriri, said that the migrants told stories of horrific treatment by militias and blatant exploitation at their places of employment.
Mr Viriri said that most of the migrants evacuated from Libya over the past year, were new arrivals.
He noted that they came to the IOM voluntarily asking for help to return home because of their unbearable situation.
A recent United Nations report revealed that migrants in Libya are vulnerable to exploitation and human rights violations by authorities, armed groups and smugglers.
It said that many migrants had been subjected to long periods of arbitrary detention, to torture, forced labor, extortion and other forms of abuse.
