Libyan navy rescues 80 immigrants off western coast

TRIPOLI, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Libyan navy announced on Friday that 80 illegal immigrants on a rickety boat were rescued off the coast of the city of Zuwara, some 120 km east of the capital Tripoli.

"The rescue operation took place 25 miles off the coast of the town of Mellita in Zuwara," Libyan navy spokesman, Ayob Qassem, told Xinhua.

He also said the rescued migrants were taken to Tripoli navy base and handed over to the anti-illegal immigration department of Tripoli.

On the other hand, the anti-illegal immigration department said that the 56 migrants from Nigeria, including three children, were voluntarily deported to their country, as part of the voluntary repatriation program carried out by the department in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

According to a statement issued by the department, the deportation was carried out on Thursday through a flight from Tripoli's M'etiga international airport to Nigeria.

Due to the state of insecurity and chaos, Libya is a major departure point for thousands of illegal immigrants wanting to cross the Mediterranean towards European shores.

The voluntary repatriation program has been implemented by IOM in Libya since 2006 to arrange for the return of stranded illegal migrants from Libya to their countries of origin.

IOM has deported 20,000 illegal immigrants from Libya to their countries of origin in 2017. Enditem