Libya Deports 700+ Migrants to Niger, Egypt

The Illegal Migration Control Department of Libya deported more than 700 illegal migrants to their home countries of Niger and Egypt, an official said.

"The number of migrants is between 700 and 750," said Mohamed Breda, a security affairs officer of the department.

He said that "the deportation of migrants from Libya will continue."

Since the fall of late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the ensuing insecurity and chaos in Libya have prompted many migrants, primarily from Africa, to attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach European shores.

Libyan Interior Minister Emad al-Tarabelsi said earlier in July that the number of foreign nationals currently in Libya is around 2.5 million, most of whom crossed the Libyan borders without entry visas.

Migrants line up to get on a bus outside the Deportation Office of the Libyan Illegal Immigration Control Department in Tripoli, Libya, on July 25, 2024. The Illegal Migration Control Department of Libya deported more than 700 illegal migrants to their home countries of Niger and Egypt, an official said.

Just a few days previously, the Libyan capital, Tripoli, hosted the Trans-Mediterranean Migration Forum, which brought together 28 delegations from African and European countries.

The forum was part of a broader effort by the country's provisional Government of National Unity to present itself as a credible and competent partner in managing migration crises.

Libya's role as a major departure point for migrants, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, is underscored by the presence of up to 2.5 million foreigners in the country, with 70 to 80 percent having entered irregularly, according to Libyan police. The International Organization for Migration estimates that over 706,000 migrants were in Libya at the beginning of the year, though Libyan officials claim the actual number exceeds two million.