The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has reported that 563 migrants were intercepted and brought back to Libya between March 2 and 8.
In a statement released yesterday, IOM revealed that the intercepted group included 43 women and 12 children. Additionally, the body of one migrant was recovered during the operations.
Since the beginning of the year, a total of 4,767 migrants have been stopped and returned to Libya, while 82 have lost their lives, and 58 remain missing along the central Mediterranean migration route.
Libya has remained a key departure point for migrants, primarily from Africa, attempting to reach Europe by sea.
The ongoing instability and conflict in the country, which has persisted since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, have contributed to the surge in migration attempts.
Meanwhile, Libya’s Government of National Unity has dismissed recent claims suggesting that the country plans to settle undocumented migrants within its borders.
In a statement, authorities labelled such reports as “misleading and completely false.”
The denial followed social media speculation linked to a statement allegedly made by Minister of Local Governance Badr Al-Din Al-Toumi after he met with Nicoletta Giordano, the IOM chief in Libya, on Saturday in Tripoli.
Last week, Libyan Interior Minister Emad al-Tarabelsi emphasized the need for United Nations assistance in facilitating the voluntary repatriation of migrants.
He also warned that if international support remains inadequate, Libya might be forced to proceed with deporting undocumented migrants.