LIBYA
Libya sends back illegal migrants to their countries. Libya returned over 1,000 migrants from Egypt and Nigeria who had been unlawfully residing in the North African country on Tuesday.
It stated that 664 Egyptians would be transported by bus to the Emsaed border checkpoint with Egypt, located about 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) east of Tripoli.
According to AFP, General Mohamad Bardaa, who heads the country’s anti-immigration commission associated with the interior ministry, 300 Nigerians were transported to the airport and sent home.
Libya, which was thrown into disarray following the overthrow and assassination of long-time dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, is now administered by rival administrations in the West and East and has become a hub for illegal migration to Europe.
Migrants attempting to make the risky sea trip from North Africa to Europe frequently fall into the hands of trafficking gangs that extort money from them.
For years, thousands of people, largely Egyptians, have been living illegally in and around Libya’s capital, working in agricultural, business, and construction.
Last month, 600 Egyptians were brought home on November 6 and 250 were transferred to Niger and Chad on November 28 in similar operations.
According to International Organization for Migration data, almost 700,000 migrants — largely from Niger and Egypt — arrived in Libya during May and June of this year.