NEARLY 1,000 refugees were intercepted and returned to Libya over the weekend, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) warned today.

Over 470 people attempting to flee the war-torn country were intercepted by the EU-supported Libyan coastguard on Saturday night and a similar number were brought back to the country again on Sunday.

“These are men, women and children who were taken to arbitrary detention where the UN and the international community has documented horrific abuses and conditions, including forced labour, extortion, physical abuse and disappearances,” IOM spokeswoman Safa Msehli told the Star.

“This system must be dismantled and the approach to migration in the Mediterranean needs to shift to a more humane policy that focuses on management rather than containment.”

German refugee rescue organisation Sea Watch observed three of these interceptions from the skies in their reconnaissance aircraft Seabird.

Sea-Watch spokesman Ruben Neugebauer told the Star: “It is a scandal that the EU does everything to avoid people asking for asylum.

“Even radio communications were overheard in which a Maltese aircraft directly co-ordinated a ‘pushback’ out of the Maltese search-and-rescue zone.

“This is a serious violation of international law and has to be investigated.”

The Spanish NGO refugee rescue ship Open Arms currently has 219 people on board, picked up in three operations in 24 hours in Malta’s search-and-rescue zone, but another boat carrying about 120 is still missing after last contacting the activist-run distress hotline organisation Alarm Phone on Sunday.

“We do not know if they are still at sea or if they have been intercepted back to Libya,” Alarm Phone warned.

“The Open Arms searched for them but to no avail. We hope they are still alive.”