(MENAFN) Over 150 illicit migrants have been saved off the Libyan coast, stated the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Friday. The IOM tweeted: "over 150 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya today by the coast guard." Because of the state of insecurity and chaos in the North African nation after the defeat of its leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, thousands of illicit migrants, mainly Africans, decided to go through the Mediterranean from Libya to Europe. The IOM expects that last year, a number of 323 migrants lost their lives and another 417 went missing on the Central Mediterranean passage, whereas 11,891 illicit migrants were saved and sent back to Libya.

Source: Libya Today February 27, 2021 12:33 UTC