Libyan border guards rescue migrants in desert

Libya’s Ministry of Interior said on Monday that its border guards have rescued dozens of African migrants who said they had been deported by Tunisian authorities towards the borders.

The migrants were found in the desert and taken to al-Assah border village.

A team from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and Libyan authorities provided them with food, clothes, and temporary accommodation.

According to a statement by the Interior Ministry, the IOM also provided first aid for those injured.

In a video posted by the ministry, two men from Nigeria said they were beaten up by Tunisian soldiers, taken along with others to a desert area, and told to cross into Libya.

Another man said Tunisian soldiers took their passports and burned them before taking 35 people in one vehicle to the border area with Libya.

He said they spent two days in the desert before Libyan border guards found them.

On Sunday, the European Union and Tunisia signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at combating irregular migration in return for an aid package for the North African country.

The deal clears the way for financial aid of up to 900 million euro’s ($1.01 billion) from the EU for economically ailing Tunisia.

Growing numbers of migrants have sought to leave Tunisia since President Kais Saied announced a tougher crackdown on them in February.

The president also accused them of bringing violence and crime into the country, saying that since then, hostilities and racist attacks have increased.

Earlier this month, clashes broke out between migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and residents of the Tunisian coastal city of Sfax, leading Tunisian authorities to arrest dozens of migrants.