Libya’s Anti-Illegal Migration Authority in Tobruk, eastern Libya, has deported 173 migrants of various Asian and African nationalities. The group was attempting to cross the sea to Europe. According to a statement from the authority, four of the migrants were found to have hepatitis, and two were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.
In a similar context, Libya’s coast guard intercepted 64 Europe-bound migrants and brought them back to shore, just days after a deadly shipwreck off the country’s coast left nearly two dozen people dead or missing. The migrants were stopped near the northwestern town of Sirte, according to the local coast guard unit, which posted images of the group on social media. The intercepted migrants included at least one woman and a child. In a standard practice to prevent traffickers from reusing vessels, the Coast Guard burned the migrant boat after the operation.
