Libyan Coast Guard Rescues 59 Illegal Migrants
The Libyan Coast Guard on Monday rescued 59 illegal migrants of different African nationalities as they attempted to cross to European shores.
A spokesman for the Libyan Navy
said the Navy boat Obari launched the rescue operation.
Over the past decade, Libya has
become a main transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty
The European Union has partnered
with Libya to prevent migrants from making the journey by sea to Europe.
Last month, more than 600 migrants
who tried to reach Europe by boat were returned to Libya by Libyan naval
forces, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on May 10 that some 600 illegal migrants
have been rescued off Libya's western coast.
According to the IOM, a total of
11,891 illegal immigrants were rescued and returned to Libya in 2021, noting
that 381 migrants died and 597 went missing on the Central Mediterranean route
during the same period.
