Large group of migrants rescued off Libyan coast

No fewer than 115 migrants were rescued in the Mediterranean off Libya’s northwestern coast in early July.

The information was made available in a statement by the Libyan naval forces affiliated with Libya’s United Nations-recognized unity government.

The statement said that the migrants, who were all African, were rescued 10 miles north of the town of Sorman.

The rescue comes at a time when many African countries are involved in campaigns to inform their citizens of the dangers of irregular migration to Europe.

In a related incident at the end of June, 100 migrants reportedly drowned after their boat also sank off the Libyan coast.

The northwestern coast of Libya has become a hotbed for irregular migration to Italy and other European countries, particularly since the collapse of the country’s central authority in 2011.  

The United Nations migration agency IOM said that over 1,000 migrants have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea since the beginning of this year alone.

Speaking about the recent deaths, the IOM Libya Chief of Mission Othman Belbeisi said: “There is an alarming increase in deaths at sea off Libya’s coast.”

TMP – 15/08/2018

Photo source: www.middleeast.net. Photo caption: Rescued African migrants