On Monday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced in a statement that 1,111 migrants were rescued in the central Mediterranean, and returned to Libya in the last week of July.
“In the period of 25-31 July, 1,111 migrants were rescued/intercepted at sea and returned to Libya,” the IOM tweeted.
In 2021, a total of 19,393 refugees have been returned to Libya so far, “compared to a significantly lower number of 11,891 of those who were intercepted at sea throughout last year,” the IOM added.
At least 360 migrants have died this year while trying to cross to Europe, while 570 remain missing. In 2020, some 381 people lost their lives, and 597 more were reported missing according to the IOM.
The central Mediterranean between Libya and Italy has become one of the deadliest routes for migrants. Last week, at least 57 migrants died, and 18 migrants were rescued after a boat capsized off the Libyan coast.