TRIPOLI, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Wednesday voluntarily deported 116 illegal immigrants from eastern Libya to Nigeria.
According to the information office of the eastern-based Interior Ministry, the deportation has been carried out from the eastern city of Benghazi to Nigeria.
This is the first voluntary repatriation of illegal immigrants from eastern Libya, as IOM carries out such operations from western Libya, from which many illegal immigrants cross the Mediterranean toward Europe.
"The immigrants were deported from Benina international airport of Benghazi, after all their needs were provided," the ministry said.
Libya suffers political division between eastern and western governments, both competing for legitimacy.
The IOM is running a voluntary return program with an aim to arrange the return of illegal immigrants stranded in Libya to their countries of origin. IOM voluntarily deported more 16,000 illegal immigrants from Libya to their countries in 2018.
The insecurity and chaos in the north African nation following the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime led to massive waves of illegal immigrants toward European shores.
