TRIPOLI, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Monday that 633 illegal migrants were returned to Libya after being rescued off the coast last week.
"In the period of June 26-July 2, a total of 633 migrants have been disembarked back on Libyan shores," IOM said in a statement.
A total of 9,973 illegal migrants have been rescued and returned to Libya so far in 2022, including 678 women and 362 minors, it added.
IOM also said that 166 illegal migrants died and 611 others went missing in 2022.
In 2021, a total of 32,425 illegal migrants were rescued and returned to Libya, while 662 died and 891 others went missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route, IOM revealed.
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.
