At least 200 migrants rescued off Libya's coast

By Waleed Duken

TRIPOLI

At least 200 undocumented migrants have been rescued off Libya's coast, the Libyan Navy said late Tuesday.

In a statement, navy forces affiliated with Libya’s internationally recognized Government of National Accord said the migrants were rescued 25 miles off the coast of Al-Qaraboli city.

The migrants are Africans, the statement added.

Around 785 migrants have died in the Mediterranean Sea this year while trying to sail to Europe, according to the UN Migration Agency (IOM).

According to the Libyan Navy, 16,000 undocumented migrants were rescued in 2017.

Ever since the collapse of the central authority in Libya in 2011, the country’s northwestern coast has become a hub for illegal migration to Italy and other countries in Europe.

Libya represents a major transit point for African migrants seeking access to Europe, especially Italy.