These young people embark on their journeys for a whole range of reasons. In many cases, they are fleeing war-torn countries, prosecutions, extreme poverty, human rights violations and limited access to education and health services. Many of those rescued on Geo Barents’ most recent mission come from Somalia, Eritrea, Mali and Cameroon.
“One of the boys we rescued recently was just 12 years old when he left his country,” says Melichar. “He explained to us, that his father was killed because he wanted to protect his son from forced enrolment in the army. His mother saw no choice but to send him away from the country to save him [from forced conscription]. He recounted, that when he reached southern Libya, he was kept in captivity and tortured for seven months before he was able to escape.”
Whatever the reason for leaving their countries of origin, Libya is the point at which there is no turning back. In Libya, there is a system to extort money from people on the move. Many migrants and refugees are kidnapped by militias and armed groups and held captive. Those who have money can buy their freedom; those who do not are tortured or made to do forced labour until their families or friends can pay for their release. This spiral of exploitation can last for months or even years. Children and teenagers are not spared such atrocities.
