The Libyan coast guard said Thursday (November 4th) that it had intercepted 280 migrants off the west coast of Libya, as they tried to cross the Mediterranean towards Europe on board five different boats.
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"
A Libyan coast guard patrol rescued 280 migrants of different African nationalities on Tuesday (November 2nd) as they headed for European coasts,
" the Libyan navy said on Facebook on Thursday.
These migrants, who were "
on board four wooden boats and a rubber dinghy
", were brought back to the coast of Zouara, near the border with Tunisia, before being handed over to the Department for the Fight against Illegal Migration.
More than fifty people on board
A video of a few seconds, uploaded by the Libyan navy, shows one of the boats stopped on the high seas with more than fifty people on board. Plunged into chaos since the fall of Muammar Gadhafi's regime in 2011, Libya has become a hub for tens of thousands of migrants seeking to reach Europe by sea.
Intercepted by the Libyan navy into international waters before reaching the Italian coast, the migrants were forcibly brought back to Libya and then detained in deplorable conditions, frequently denounced by NGOs and the UN.
The department for the fight against illegal migration of the Ministry of the Interior will have to ensure "
monitoring of the care of these migrants and the procedures necessary for their repatriation to their countries
", it is specified in the official press release on Thursday.
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The International Organization for Migration (IOM) recently relaunched a program for the voluntary return of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees stranded in Libya through humanitarian flights after a suspension of almost two years.
Gambian and Nigerien nationals were repatriated on two flights, one from Tripoli in October, and the other from Misrata on Wednesday.