TRIPOLI, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Monday that 326 illegal immigrants were rescued off the Libyan coast and returned to Libya from July 4 to 10.
So far in 2021, a total of 16,026 illegal immigrants, including women and children, have been rescued, while 234 died and 510 went missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route, according to IOM.
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 immigrants 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 them. Enditem
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