IOM Reports 979 Migrants Intercepted And Returned Off Libya’s Coast

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Monday that 979 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya over the past week.

From August 25 to 31, 2024, IOM documented the interception of these migrants, which included 74 women and 33 children. The agency also reported that seven migrant bodies were recovered, and eight others went missing off the Libyan coast, according to Xinhua news agency.

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So far this year, a total of 15,117 migrants have been intercepted, with 434 confirmed dead and 611 reported missing. In comparison, IOM noted that 17,190 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya in 2023.

The ongoing instability in Libya, which followed the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, has driven many migrants, primarily from Africa, to undertake dangerous Mediterranean Sea crossings in their quest to reach Europe.