The last week of July saw some 1,111 migrants being rescued in the Central Mediterranean and returned to Libya, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a statement on Monday
*UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd August, 2021) The last week of July saw some 1,111 migrants being rescued in the Central Mediterranean and returned to Libya, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a statement on Monday.
"In the period of 25-31 July, 1,111 migrants were rescued [or] intercepted at sea and returned to Libya," IOM said via Twitter.
In 2021, a total of 19,393 refugees have been returned to Libya so far, compared to a significantly lower number of 11,891 of those who were intercepted at sea throughout last year, the IOM added.
At least 360 migrants have died this year while trying to cross the sea route to Europe, while 570 remain missing. In 2020, some 381 people lost their lives on the Central Mediterranean, and 597 more were reported missing, according to the IOM.
The Central Mediterranean route between Libya and Italy is the deadliest one for migrants attempting to reach Europe. Last week, at least 57 migrants died and 18 migrants were rescued after a boat capsized off the Libyan coast.
