War creates new uncertainty for migrants in Libya

Migrants are seen in a dinghy as they are rescued by Libyan coast guards in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya, October 18, 2019. Picture taken October 18, 2019. REUTERS/Libyan Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERS

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - After three days at sea trying to reach Europe, Demba Dembele was intercepted by Libya's EU-backed coastguard and returned to Tripoli – where, like dozens of other migrants, he got in a taxi and set off into the city.

For years, migrants sent back to Libya have been routinely transferred to government-affiliated detention centres notorious for squalid conditions and abuse.