Libyan Authorities Arrest 50 Migrants in Desert

TRIPOLI, Xinhua: Libyan authorities said Sunday that they arrested 50 illegal migrants from different African countries in the desert near the village of Nasmah, some 230 km south of the capital Tripoli.

“Patrols of the Borders Guard were deployed in rugged valley areas near Nasmah, aimed to execute a security plan in the area and control the flow of illegal migrants through rugged desert routes,” the Libyan Interior Ministry said in a statement published on Facebook.

It said the 50 arrested migrants “were provided with humanitarian and first aid assistance, before they were handed over to a reception center to complete the necessary legal procedures.”

Due to the insecurity and chaos that followed the 2011 ousting of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has become a hotspot for migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean towards European shores.

So far this year, 9,285 migrants have been intercepted and returned to Libya, while 160 migrants died and 234 others went missing on the central Mediterranean route, according to data from the International Organization for Migration.

Libya has urged the EU and countries affected by migration flows from Libya to provide more support in curbing illegal migration.