Geneva  - Italy sent migrants from Eritrea back to Libya two weeks ago even though most were in need of asylum, the United Nations Refugee Agency said Tuesday.

UNHCR said it interviewed 82 people who were on a boat which was intercepted by the Italian navy in the Mediterranean earlier this month. The migrants were then sent to Libya, their last point of embarkment, where they were placed in detention.

"It is clear that a significant number from this group are in need of international protection," UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond said in Geneva, noting that 76 of them came from Eritrea on the Horn of Africa, which has a repressive military regime.

In interviews, the people said they were handled roughly by the Italian forces, causing injury to six of the migrants. They said the navy took their belongings, which have not been returned, and refused them food during the 12 hour-long journey back to Libya.

In May, Italy introduced a strict "push-back" policy, to prevent migrants from entering its territory. The UN said the measure lacks safeguard mechanisms to assure that those in need of protection were granted asylum as required by international law.(dpa)