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Between 400,000 and 700,000 African migrants in Libya: AU

Published November 30,2017
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The chairman of the African Union Commission says between 400,000 and 700,000 African migrants are living in camps in Libya, often under "inhuman" conditions.

Moussa Faki Mahamat spoke Thursday at the end of a summit of European and African leaders where migration was a top issue after recent footage of a migrant slave auction in Libya drew global horror and condemnation.

Mahamat said 3,800 migrants in one camp in Tripoli need to be removed as soon as possible.

"That's just one camp," he said. "The Libyan government has told us there are 42," and some contain an even larger number of migrants.

The International Organization for Migration says more than 423,000 migrants had been identified in the chaotic North African country as of last month. Most are African.