Libya migrant centres near breaking point after spike in arrivals

Coastguard crackdown leaves thousands in overcrowded facilities, with many more at mercy of smugglers and militia

The number of migrants in Libya's overcrowded detention centres has almost doubled over the past three months, according to the UN's migration agency.

Amid a crackdown on Mediterranean crossings by the Italy and EU-backed Libyan coastguard, the number of people being held has swollen from 5,000 to 9,300, with thousands more at the mercy of smugglers in charge of unofficial detention facilities, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said.