The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Monday that 563 migrants were intercepted off the coast of Libya in the past week.
“From March 2 to 8, 563 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya,’’ IOM said in a statement.
Among the migrants were 43 women and 12 children, IOM added, noting that one body of a migrant was also recovered.
So far this year, a total of 4,767 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya, while 82 migrants died and 58 others went missing on the central Mediterranean route.
Because of the insecurity and chaos in the country since the fall of its late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, many migrants, mostly Africans, chose to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores from Libya.
On Sunday, Libya’s Government of National Unity refuted reports alleging that Libya plans to resettle undocumented migrants within the country, saying the reports are “misleading and completely false.’’
The denial came amid social media claims of a statement by Minister of Local Governance Badr Al-Din Al-Toumi regarding the settlement of undocumented migrants in Libya.
The claimed surfaced following his meeting on Saturday in Tripoli with Nicoletta Giordano, chief of Mission for IOM in Libya.
Last week, Libyan Interior Minister Emad al-Tarabelsi stressed the importance of UN support to advance the voluntary departure of migrants from Libya to their home countries.
Al-Tarabelsi said earlier that Libya may resort to “forced deportation of illegal migrants’’ if the international community fails to support their voluntary return to their countries of origin.
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