TRIPOLI, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Monday that 271 illegal migrants were rescued off the coast of Libya in the past week.
The migrants, including 25 women and 23 children, were rescued and returned to Libya between Sept. 24 and 30, the IOM said in a statement, adding four dead bodies were also found.
So far this year, a total of 11,736 illegal migrants were rescued and returned to Libya, the 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 en route off Libyan coast.
Since the fall of late leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011, insecurity and chaos have made Libya a popular transit point for migrants, mostly Africans, attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores. ■
