TRIPOLI, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Monday that 202 illegal immigrants were returned to Libya after being rescued off the coast last week.
"In the period of 17-23 April 2022, 202 migrants were rescued/intercepted at sea and returned to Libya," IOM said in a statement.
So far in 2022, 4,215 illegal immigrants have been rescued and returned to Libya, including 390 women and 172 minors, it added.
In addition, 101 illegal immigrants died and 410 others went missing on the Central Mediterranean route in 2022, according to IOM.
In 2021, a total of 32,425 illegal immigrants were rescued and returned to Libya, while 662 died and 891 others went missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route, according to the UN agency.
Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making the North African country a preferred point of departure for illegal immigrants who want to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores. ■
