The Libyan National Army has rescued 37 Bangladeshi migrants found aboard a dilapidated boat approximately 195 miles northwest of Benghazi in the early hours of Monday, according to military officials.
Colonel Khalifa Al-Obaidi, Director of the Media Office for the Libyan Army’s General Command, told Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency that the migrants were attempting to reach Europe when they were intercepted at sea by the Libyan Armed Forces’ Coast Guard unit.
The boat was reportedly in poor condition and at risk of capsizing when the rescue operation was carried out. The migrants were safely brought ashore and immediately transferred to the official detention centres run by the Department for Combating Illegal Migration.
“All migrants were handed over to the competent authorities, and have been provided with food, medical care, and shelter,” Colonel Al-Obaidi stated.
The rescue highlights ongoing efforts by Libyan authorities to control irregular migration across the Mediterranean, as Libya remains a key departure point for migrants seeking to reach European shores, often aboard overcrowded and unsafe vessels.
International organisations, including the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), have repeatedly expressed concern over the treatment of migrants in Libya and called for long-term solutions to address the humanitarian and security challenges posed by irregular migration.
Libya’s eastern-based authorities have continued to work closely with local and international bodies in processing intercepted migrants and facilitating voluntary repatriation when possible.
