The Anti-Illegal Immigration Agency in the Eastern Region of Tobruk has deported over 7,000 illegal migrants during the first half of this year.
According to data from the agency, a total of 7,525 illegal migrants from 19 different nationalities were deported. Among these, 230 migrants were reported injured, with 11 of them suffering from HIV/AIDS. The injured migrants included 134 Egyptians, 85 Sudanese, seven Guineans, three Nigerians, and one Bangladeshi.
The breakdown of the total number of deported migrants by nationality is as follows: Egypt accounted for 992 deportees, while a significant number of 5,627 Sudanese were also deported.
Other nationalities included 439 Nigerians, 120 Nigeriens, 31 Ghanaians, 185 Chadians, three Pakistanis, three Algerians, seven Eritreans, two Ethiopians, six Congolese, 60 Guineans, two Malians, 29 Bangladeshis, seven Somalis, one Indian, one Iraqi, two Syrians, and eight Yemenis.
This brings the total number of deported migrants to 7,755, according to the Anti-Illegal Immigration Agency in the Eastern Region of Tobruk.
Previously, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) successfully facilitated the voluntary return of 80,000 migrants to their home countries over the past nine years, in coordination with the Anti-Illegal Immigration Agency. The IOM reported that 2,733 victims of human trafficking, 843 unaccompanied or separated children, and 5,144 migrants with medical needs benefited from the voluntary return program. The organization has assisted migrants from various African and Asian countries who wished to return to their home countries.
The voluntary return program, funded by the European Union and the governments of Switzerland and Italy, ensures that migrants receive necessary humanitarian assistance and a safe, dignified, and expedited journey back to their countries of origin.
Data collected from March to May 2024 by the International Organization for Migration’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) program in Libya indicates a slight increase in the number of migrants in the country.
The report recorded 725,304 migrants from 44 nationalities across 100 Libyan municipalities, reflecting a 1% increase compared to the previous quarter’s data.
This figure is described as the highest recorded by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Libya since data collection began in 2016. However, it remains lower than the estimated 2.5 million migrants before the conflict erupted in 2011.
The IOM attributed the increase in migrant numbers to several factors, including the relative stability in some municipalities, and better job opportunities in sectors such as construction, oil, trade, and agriculture.
The report also noted the continued arrival of Sudanese migrants in Kufra and other locations in eastern Libya due to the ongoing conflict in their home country.
