Incidents of fire and clashes between refugees and a section of hostile natives have also been reported on the island.

The tragedy, the biggest of its kind this year, has intensified the UN refugee agency’s calls to open safe pathways for refugees who otherwise take perilous journeys to escape poverty and war.

The Women’s Refugee Commission report details the atrocities faced by refugees in camps in Libya, and the brutality of the Libyan Coast Guard, both of which have been financed by the European Union in an attempt to prevent the inflow of refugees

In Europe and the US, the right wing continued to fan the flame of hatred against migrants for electoral gain even as institutions failed to stand up to this propaganda. The victims of all this were the migrants.

The rescue ship operated by Open Arms was denied permission to dock at ports in Italy and Malta. The refugees were rescued from near the Libyan coast

Using tear gas and rubber bullets, a Libyan coastguard team, on November 7, forced at least 79 refugees and migrants to disembark from a vessel that had rescued them from drowning in international waters.

The ship was leased by SOS Méditerranée and Médecins Sans Frontières and was instrumental in saving the lives of around 10,000 refugees stranded at sea