493 migrants saved off the coast of Libya in a week: IOM

Synopsis

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported the rescue of 493 migrants off Libya's coast last week, including women and children. The ongoing crisis since Gaddafi's fall has led to a significant increase in migrant attempts to reach Europe, with over 21,000 rescues reported in 2024.

Key Takeaways

493 migrants rescued off Libya in a week.
21,762 migrants saved in 2024 so far.
674 deaths reported on the Central Mediterranean route.
Libya remains a key transit point for African migrants.
Ongoing deportations of migrants back to their home countries.

Tripoli, Jan 14 (NationPress) The International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced on Tuesday that a total of 493 migrants were rescued off the coast of Libya during the past week.

Between January 5 and January 11, 493 migrants were intercepted and subsequently returned to Libya, according to an IOM statement.

The rescued individuals included 47 women and 17 children, while the remains of three migrants were also recovered.

In 2024, 21,762 migrants have been rescued and sent back to Libya, with 674 fatalities and 1,015 individuals missing along the Central Mediterranean route, which includes departures from Libya and other nations.

Since the downfall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the resulting turmoil and instability in Libya have driven numerous migrants, primarily from Africa, to risk crossing the Mediterranean Sea in hopes of reaching European shores, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.

Last month, the Libyan authorities deported a group of migrants to Niger via land routes, marking the first such deportation in several years, according to the Libyan Illegal Migration Control Department.

The department stated via their Facebook page that the deportation occurred in the presence of Niger's charge d'affaires to Libya.

The migrants were removed across the land border with Niger for breaching applicable Libyan laws after completing necessary procedures, as per the department's statement. It emphasized that deportations from Libya back to their countries of origin will be ongoing.

Following the 2011 ousting of Gaddafi, Libya has emerged as a key transit hub for migrants, predominantly from Africa, aiming to reach Europe via sea routes.

The IOM estimates that 787,326 migrants currently reside in Libya, with 41 percent of them reporting experiencing shocks such as environmental, political, or economic challenges prior to their migration to Libya.