TRIPOLI, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan navy on Friday said its coast guard rescued 113 illegal migrants off the country's western coast.
The migrants, rescued in two separate operations, are from different African countries, the navy said.
The migrants were disembarked at Libyan capital Tripoli's Naval Base and then handed over to the anti-illegal immigration department.
The department will look after the migrants and complete the procedures for their deportation safely back to their countries of origin, the navy added.
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 illegal migrants who want to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores.
Rescued migrants end up inside overcrowded reception centers across Libya, despite repeated international calls to close those centers.
Since 2021, more than 20,000 illegal immigrants, including women and children, have been rescued, while hundreds of others have died and gone missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Enditem
