The Anti-Illegal Immigration Agency (Qubah branch) deported 21 illegal Egyptian migrants via the Emsaad land border crossing, including two with AIDS and three with Hepatitis. This operation followed Major General Nouri Alsadi’s directives, emphasizing swift deportation to their home countries.
Libyan authorities’ ongoing efforts to manage migrant flows and enforce immigration laws while addressing public health concerns were reflected in this move.
Greek officials reported 91 migrants arriving on Gavdos island from Libya, indicating a recent increase in arrivals. The Greek coast guard found them on a Gavdos beach, relocating them to Crete for further assistance.
Believed to have embarked from Libya’s eastern coast, these migrants’ nationalities remain undisclosed. Gavdos and southern Crete have seen a rise in arrivals, with over 600 individuals reaching or being rescued at sea in the last month alone.
Migrants often travel from Tobruk, Libya, across the Mediterranean, some paying up to $5,000 to smuggling groups. This influx strains Gavdos, known for summer tourism, with limited year-round residents.
Furthermore, SOS Mediterranee conducted a rescue operation off the Libyan coast for 25 migrants on a rubber boat, emphasizing the need for significant medical assistance. Two required urgent medical evacuation due to critical condition.
Since 2016, SOS Mediterranee has rescued over 39,000 people in the Mediterranean, focusing on the central sector, known as the most perilous route to Europe.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported 3,105 dead or missing migrants in Mediterranean crossings in 2023, with 278 casualties since January this year.
