TRIPOLI, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Higher Commission of Refugees (UNHCR) on Friday said that 1,780 refugees and asylum seekers have been released from detention centers in Libya so far in 2019.
"As of December 10, UNHCR has conducted 1,160 protection monitoring visits to detention centers in Libya. These visits allow UNHCR to assess the conditions of persons of concern, carry out registration activities and provide humanitarian assistance," UNHCR said.
"So far in 2019, 1,780 refugees and asylum seekers have been released through UNHCR's advocacy," UNHCR added.
UNHCR also said that nearly 4,200 people are currently held in detention centers in Libya, including 2,450 people of concern to the UNHCR.
Thousands of illegal immigrants, mostly Africans, choose to cross the Mediterranean Sea towards Europe from Libya as the country has been mired in insecurity and chaos since the fall of its former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
