Addressing the Security Council in New York on Thursday, Pär Liljert urged states to ensure the safety and dignity of those within their borders as required under "applicable international instruments."
Between January and August 2023, it is estimated that more than 102,000 refugees and migrants attempted to cross the central Mediterranean Sea to Europe from Tunisia — a 260% increase compared with last year. More than 45,000 crossed from Libya.
"While significant attention is dedicated to deaths at sea, the stories shared by migrants suggest that several tragedies may be going unnoticed, especially during the crossing of the Sahara Desert," he said.
"Despite the emergence of other significant migration routes in recent years, the Central Mediterranean route remains the most dangerous."
Liljert said he expects "more and more people" to undertake such "perilous journeys than at any time in the past three decades" as the world sees increasing rates of conflict, disasters and environmental degradation, exacerbated by "glaring inequalities and increased poverty."
Ruven Menikdiwela, head of the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) told the Security Council that "saving lives at sea and providing humanitarian assistance is one of the most basic obligations of humanity, and those performing rescue operations or helping in good faith should not be penalized for doing so."
She said the condition of refugees and migrants in both official and unofficial detention facilities in Libya remains of grave concern.
Menikdiwela also said that UNHCR remains concerned about the disembarkation in Libya of refugees and migrants rescued or intercepted at sea.
"Libya is not a place of safety for the purposes of disembarkation following rescue at sea," she said.
"Italy cannot be left on its own in responding to the needs of the arrivals. UNHCR has repeatedly called for the establishment of an agreed regional disembarkation and redistribution mechanism for people who arrive by sea, in a spirit of responsibility sharing and solidarity with front-line states."
As recently emphasized by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the challenges of the mixed movement of refugees and migrants require a panoramic view of population movements.
Menikdiwela said this approach's core is recognizing "the importance of the right to seek asylum at borders, without being turned away or violently pushed back. People should not be prevented from seeking protection under international human rights law and international refugee law."