United Nations Special Representative for Libya, H.E. Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, has disclosed that a growing number of Ghanaians are dying on the dangerous journey through Libya to Europe, with many buried in Libya under Muslim rites.
Speaking at the 21st ‘Kronti ne Akwamu’ lecture organized by CDD-Ghana at the British Council in Accra, Mrs. Tetteh said the true scale of the deaths remains unknown because the data is not made public.
“Through the Embassy, we are aware of a number of Ghanaians who die on their way from Libya to Europe. When their bodies are retrieved, they are given Muslim funerals. That data doesn’t come to the public domain, so we don’t discuss it,” she stated.
The former Minister for Foreign Affairs and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said the Libya route poses greater risks than other migration destinations like South Africa that receive more media attention.
“In Libya, the majority of African immigrants try to go to Europe. They want to exit, and that route is more dangerous than South Africa because a lot of people die on their way to Europe,” she explained.
Mrs. Tetteh cautioned Ghanaians chasing opportunities abroad to reconsider Europe as the automatic path to success.
“All those who believe that Europe is the pathway to achieve their vision should be very sensitive to the fact that Europe and the Western world are closing their doors today,” she warned.
The lecture was held under the theme “The Changing Global and Multilateral Rules-Based Order: Implications for Ghana and Africa’s Strategic Positioning.”
