872 illegal immigrants rescued off Libyan coast in past week

Tripoli, Feb 1 A total of 872 illegal immigrants were rescued off the Libyan coast and returned to the country in the past week, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced.

From January 23 to 29, the migrants were rescued or intercepted at sea and returned to Libya, the IOM said in a statement on Monday.

It added that a total of 1,476 illegal immigrants were rescued and returned to Libya this year, reports Xinhua news agency.

According to the IOM, 27 illegal immigrants have died and 55 gone missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route since the beginning of the year.

In 2021, a total of 32,425 illegal immigrants were rescued and returned to the country, while 662 died and 891 others went missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route, the IOM revealed.

Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The North African country has turned into a preferred point of departure for illegal immigrants who want to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores.

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