236 Moroccan immigrants to be deported from Libya next week

TRIPOLI, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Libya and Morocco on Saturday signed an agreement to deport 236 illegal Moroccan immigrants who were on a hunger strike, an official said.

"Representatives of the Moroccan embassy to Libya visited a reception center in the capital Tripoli today and completed official procedures for the migrants at the center to be deported to Morocco next week," Husni Abu-Ayana, head of the media office of Tripoli's anti-illegal immigration department, told Xinhua.

"The delay of the procedures does not concern the Libyan side. Security checks by the Moroccan authorities were taken because a large number of Moroccans were involved in terrorist operations in the cities of Sirte and Sabratha," Abu-Ayana added.

The deportation process will be part of the voluntary return program of the International Organization for Migration, Abu-Ayana revealed.

The Moroccan immigrants started a hunger strike in November in protest over delayed repatriation to Morocco.

Libya is a major departure point for illegal migrants wanting to cross the Mediterranean towards European shores, due to the insecurity and chaos in the North African nation.

The International Organization for Migration in Libya said that about 17,000 illegal immigrants were voluntarily deported from Libya to their countries of origin this year so far. Enditem