TRIPOLI, March 2 (Xinhua) -- A group of 130 illegal Nigerian immigrants, including women and children, were voluntarily repatriated from Libya on Tuesday, a local official said.

The repatriation was carried out as part of the Voluntary Humanitarian Return program of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Hussain al-Amin, head of the Deportation Section of the Illegal Immigration Control Department of Misurata International Airport, told Xinhua.

The IOM's program arranges the return of illegal immigrants stranded in Libya to their homeland.

Libya has become a preferred point of departure for thousands of migrants who attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores, amid the insecurity and chaos that have plagued Libya since the downfall of its former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

So far this year, about 2,500 illegal immigrants have been rescued at sea and returned to Libya, including women and children, according to IOM. Enditem

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