A group of 138 migrants who were trying to reach Europe by sea were intercepted on Wednesday off the west coast of Libya and brought back to the naval base in the capital Tripoli.
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These candidates for exile were intercepted aboard an inflatable boat by the Libyan coast guard, 90 km from the capital, AFP learned from the Libyan navy.
More than half are from Sudan, the others from several countries in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the same source.
Nine women and three children are part of the group, noted an AFP journalist on the spot.
On Monday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced the interception in 48 hours of some 1,000 migrants who attempted the same crossing.
Libya is a major route for thousands of migrants, mainly Sub-Saharans, who try to reach Europe by sea. UN agencies and NGOs regularly denounce the return to Libya of these migrants and the deplorable conditions in the centers. of detention.
Smugglers and traffickers have profited over the past ten years from the climate of instability that has reigned in this country located some 300 km from the Italian coast.