TRIPOLI, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that nearly 680,000 illegal immigrants arrived in Libya in May.
"In May 2018, IOM Libya identified 679,897 migrants in Libya from 42 nationalities, 8% of them are minors," the IOM said Friday.
"The top 5 nationalities were Nigerian, Egyptian, Chadian, Sudanese and Ghanaian. Together these nationalities account for up to 65% of Libya's migrant population," it added.
Libya has become a preferred departure point for illegal immigrants hoping to cross the Mediterranean Sea into Europe due to insecurity and chaos in the North African country following the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Migrant shelters in Libya are crowded with thousands of migrants who have been rescued at sea or arrested by the Libyan security services.
