TRIPOLI, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Libya's UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj on Wednesday met with the chief of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) over illegal immigration.
William Swing, director general of IOM, said his visit to Tripoli aims to help Libya deal with illegal immigration and internal displacement, according to a statement issued by the prime minister's office.
Swing expressed deep gratitude for Libya's support to the organization's efforts to curb illegal immigration.
For his part, Serraj said his government has been providing humanitarian support for those in the immigration shelters until their repatriation.
The Libyan prime minister highlighted that the cooperation between Libya and the IOM will have a positive impact on resolving issues of migration and displacement.
Following the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime, insecurity and chaos in Libya has turned it into a departure point for illegal immigrants hoping to cross the Mediterranean toward Europe.
According to the IOM, nearly 9,000 illegal immigrants were voluntarily repatriated in the first half of 2018.
