A Libyan coast guardsman stands on a boat during the rescue of 147 illegal immigrants attempting to reach Europe off the coastal town of Zawiyah, 45 kilometres west of the capital Tripoli, on June 27, 2017. More than 8,000 migrants have been rescued in waters off Libya during the past 48 hours in difficult weather conditions, Italy's coastguard said on June 27, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Taha JAWASHI
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) on Monday said that 1,313 migrants were rescued off the coast of Libya in the past week.
IOM said in a statement that from January 19 to 25, 1,313 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya.
“The migrants include more than 160 women and over 60 children,” IOM said, adding that two bodies of migrants were retrieved.
So far this year, 1,806 migrants have been intercepted and returned to Libya, while 32 others died on the Central Mediterranean route, IOM said.
According to IOM, due to insecurity and chaos in the country since the fall of late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, many migrants, mostly Africans, chose to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores from Libya.
(Xinhua/NAN)
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