TRIPOLI, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Monday that 543 illegal migrants were rescued off the coast of Libya in the past week.
The migrants, who were rescued between Sept. 17 and 23, include 65 women and 29 children, IOM said in a statement, adding they have returned to Libya.
So far this year, a total of 11,465 illegal migrants were rescued and returned to Libya, IOM revealed, adding that 925 died and 1,168 went missing on the Central Mediterranean route off the Libyan coast.
In 2022, 24,684 illegal migrants were rescued and returned to Libya, while 529 died and 848 went missing on the Central Mediterranean route.
Because of the insecurity and chaos in the country since the fall of late leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011, many migrants, mostly Africans, chose to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores from Libya. ■
