Some 250 illegal migrants rescued off Libyan coast: UN
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E-mail Xinhua, July 5, 2021
TRIPOLI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Sunday said that some 250 illegal migrants have been rescued by the Libyan Coast Guard and returned to Libya.
"Some 250 persons returned to Tripoli after being rescued/intercepted by the Libyan Coast Guards," the UNHCR tweeted.
"UNHCR and partner IRC are on the ground providing medical care and humanitarian aid," the UNHCR said.
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.
According to the International Organization for Migration, nearly 15,000 illegal migrants have been rescued and returned to Libya so far this year.
The rescued migrants have ended up in overcrowded reception centers across Libya, despite repeated international calls to close those facilities. Enditem
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