TRIPOLI, July 26 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday that 446 migrants were rescued off the coast of Libya and sent back to the country from July 17 to 23.
So far in 2022, a total of 11,057 migrants have been rescued and returned to Libya, including 698 women and 422 minors, IOM said in a statement.
According to IOM, 180 migrants died and 648 others went missing on the Central Mediterranean route this year.
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 irregular migrants who want to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores. ■