TRIPOLI, March 31 (Xinhua) -- A total of 138 illegal migrants were rescued by the Libyan Coast Guard off the country's western coast, the Libyan Navy said Thursday.

The migrants are of different African nationalities, the Libyan Navy said in a statement, adding that they were handed over to the anti-illegal immigration department upon disembarkation at the capital Tripoli Naval Base.

Hundreds of illegal migrants have been rescued and returned to Libya over the past few days, the Libyan navy said.

Libya has become a preferred point of departure for thousands of immigrants who attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach European shores, especially since the fall of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, after which the country fell into the state of insecurity and chaos.

In 2020, a total of 11,891 illegal migrants were rescued and returned to Libya, the International Organization for Migration estimates, adding that 381 migrants died and 597 went missing on the Central Mediterranean route during the same period.

The rescued migrants usually end up inside overcrowded reception centers across Libya, despite repeated international calls to close those centers. Enditem

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