The number of migrants who have reached Italy via Libya has dropped significantly since July, when the European Union reached a deal with Libyan authorities to stem migrant flows, the UN said Thursday. The EU's decision to help Libya intercept migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean and return them to detention centres was condemned as "inhuman" earlier this month by the United Nations human rights chief, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein.
But a report from the UN refugee agency indicated that the pact has achieved its objective of curbing migrant arrivals in Italy. "Over the past three months, 21,666 refugees and migrants have crossed the sea to Italy, the lowest number for this period over the last four years," the UNHCR report said. The report noted that the EU-Libya deal was designed "to reduce irregular crossings to Italy".