TRIPOLI, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said Monday that some 180 illegal immigrants have been rescued off Libyan coast.
"Some 180 refugees and migrants were returned to Libya by the Libyan Coast Guard and disembarked at Tripoli commercial port," the UNHCR Libya tweeted.
"UNHCR and IRC are providing them with medical assistance, food & water," it said, adding that many women and children were on the rescued list.
Ever since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has become a preferred departure point for illegal immigrants who attempt to cross the Mediterranean towards European shores.
"Libya is not a safe port for refugees," the UNHCR said.
According to the International Organization for Migration, 10,398 illegal immigrants have been rescued and returned to Libya so far in 2020, while the number in 2019 stood at 9,225.
Thousands of illegal immigrants, who were either rescued at sea or arrested by the Libyan authorities, are detained in overcrowded reception centers in Libya, despite repeated international calls to close those centers. Enditem
