1,000 migrants deported from Libya
Libya continued its deportation spree as on December 12, 1,000 clandestine migrants were sent back to their country of origin, according to AFP.
Of those deported recently, 664 were from Egypt and the rest were from Nigeria.
Libyan officials told the press that those from Egypt were to be taken by bus to the Emsaed border post with the country whilst those in the territory illegally from Nigeria were taken to commercial airports to be flown home.
Libya is a popular destination for migrants who seek to make dangerous journeys by sea to the European continent, often on makeshift boats.
EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson recently said that the number of people attempting to reach the continent from neighbouring Tunisia had fallen over the past two months however she noted, “Unfortunately, we are seeing an increase in departures from Libya instead,”
READ: Libya sends over 200 migrants packing
Thousands of undocumented migrants, mostly Egyptians, have been living and working in Libya for years, often doing jobs in business, agriculture and construction.
Earlier this month, an illegal gold mining network operating in the Libyan desert was foiled by the authorities. Mostly illegal migrants from Chad, Niger and China were employed in the operation.
In November of this year, rival factions in the east and west cooperated to deport 248 migrants, 128 from Chad and 120 from Niger.
Two administrations have been formed since the downfall of Muammar Gaddafi, caused by a NATO-backed revolt in 2011. The country has been increasingly divided since.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) found that there were more than 700,000 migrants, notably from Niger and Egypt, in Libya between May and June of this year.
AFP
