TRIPOLI, 7 February, 2021, (TON): The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Saturday said that around 300 illegal migrants were rescued off Libyan coast. 

IOM tweeted that "Some 300 migrants were returned to Libya today by the coast guard. Close to 1,500 people were intercepted in the past four days, most of whom were detained."  

IOM called on the authorities to "dismantle the system of arbitrary detention and provide safe and viable alternatives." 

According to IOM in 2020, 323 migrants died and 417 others went missing on the Central Mediterranean route, while 11,891 illegal migrants were rescued off the Libyan coast in 2020 compared with 9,225 in 2019. 

Shelters in Libya are crowded with thousands of migrants rescued at sea or arrested by the Libyan security services, despite international calls to close those centers. 

Libya is one of the most important starting points for African migrants to Europe. Libya has suffered years of security deterioration amid sharp political divisions, an armed struggle for power and a war on terrorism. The state has lost its ability to effectively control its borders which led to the availability of various paths for African migrants to enter Libyan territory.