This thematic report highlights how concrete policy decisions and practices related to search and rescue (SAR) and the protection of migrants at sea have combined to create an environment where the dignity and human rights of migrants transiting through Libya are at risk. The report expresses concern about a “lethal disregard for desperate people” in this context and urges more determined and effective action to deploy SAR operations, support the work of humanitarian NGOs, and to adopt a common and human rights-based arrangement for the timely disembarkation of all people rescued at sea. The report is part of a wider project by the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) seeking to identify, document and analyze human rights violations and protection gaps impacting migrants in Libya and the neighbouring region and to formulate recommendations to relevant governments and other stakeholders, aimed at ensuring compliance with international human rights law and standards.