Libya has repatriated nearly 1,000 migrants from Egypt and Nigeria who were staying in the country illegally.
Gatekeepers News reports that General Mohamad Bardaa, who heads the country’s anti-immigration body affiliated with the Interior Ministry, said that 664 Egyptians were taken by bus to the Emsaed border post with Egypt, while 300 Nigerians were flown home.
Libya has become a hub for illegal migration to Europe, and migrants often fall into the hands of trafficking gangs that extort them for money.
The country, facing internal conflicts, has struggled to manage its migrant population, leading to periodic repatriation efforts. Last month, similar operations saw the repatriation of 600 Egyptians and 250 migrants to Niger and Chad.
According to International Organisation for Migration figures, there were more than 700,000 migrants, mostly from Niger and Egypt — in Libya between May and June this year.
