The Director-General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), William Lacy Swing called on the Libyan authorities to stop the detention of migrants after they were rescued or intercepted by the Libyan Coast Guard.
In a statement after his visit to Libya, Swing said on Wednesday that the international organization is seeking to speed up the voluntary return of migrants to their countries of origin, calling on the Libyan authorities to expedite the return of those who wish to return home voluntarily rather than keeping them in the shelters.
Swing called for the creation of separate centers for women and children, the development of measures to keep families together, the easing of conditions of detention and the facilitation of access by UN staff to migrants throughout the country.
Last week, IOM Director-General William Lacy Swing inspected the illegal immigration center in Tripoli.