According to the latest figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the number of irregular migrants and asylum seekers detained in official detention centres in Libya has risen to over five thousand.
Libyan Central Television reported a significant increase in migrants who have been returned to Libya following rescue operations in the Mediterranean, totalling approximately 14,000 during the first eight months of this year.
UNHCR estimates indicate that the number of migrants held in official detention centres accessible to the agency has reached 5,103.
The surge is attributed to the detention of hundreds during multiple security operations conducted by local authorities in Tripoli and other locations.
The Libyan General Directorate of Coastal Security recently announced the rescue of 109 irregular migrants of various nationalities off the coast of Libya on Sunday.
According to an official statement, the rescue operation was carried out by the patrol boat “Wadi Kaam – 300 P” after the migrants’ vessel stalled in the Mediterranean waters.
The rescued migrants were brought to the Shaab Port in Tripoli, where they were handed over to the Libyan Directorate for Combating Illegal Migration.
Representatives from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) were present to oversee the process and ensure that the migrants received necessary medical care.
The rescue mission was part of ongoing efforts directed by the head of the General Directorate of Coastal Security, Major General Al-Bashir Bin Nour Suleiman, who has called for increased patrols during the summer months to manage the rising number of migrants attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean.
