TRIPOLI, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Monday that it had intercepted 579 undocumented migrants in the Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast and returned them to Libya over the past week.
In a statement posted on X, the IOM said 45 women and 11 children were among those intercepted between March 17 and 23. The organization also confirmed the retrieval of a deceased migrant from the waters.
According to the IOM, a total of 3,311 migrants have been intercepted and returned to Libya this year, with 115 reported deaths and 253 individuals still missing off the Libyan coast.
The instability and turmoil prevailing in the country since the downfall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 have prompted many migrants, mostly Africans, to opt for perilous journeys across the Mediterranean Sea toward European shores from Libya.
Libyan Interior Minister Emad al-Trabelsi recently announced plans to deport more than 20,000 migrants lacking legal status as part of the government's efforts to address the issue of illegal migration this year. ■