TRIPOLI: According to officials and AFP journalists, Libya returned over 1,000 migrants from Egypt and Nigeria who had been residing in the country illegally on Tuesday.
The plan was to transport the 664 Egyptians to the border point of Emsaed, located around 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) east of Tripoli, via bus.
300 Nigerians were brought to the airport to be flown home, according to General Mohamad Bardaa, the leader of the nation’s anti-immigration organization connected to the interior ministry.
Following the overthrow and murder of longtime tyrant Muammar Qaddafi in 2011, Libya descended into anarchy. Rival governments now control the country from the east and west, and it has developed into a hub for unauthorized immigration to Europe.
Human trafficking organizations frequently kidnap migrants who are trying to make the dangerous sea journey from North Africa to Europe in exchange for financial extortion.
Many thousands of individuals, primarily Egyptians, have been living illegally in and around the capital of Libya for years, supporting themselves via jobs in construction, business, and agriculture.
Last month, similar efforts resulted in the return of 250 Egyptians to Niger and Chad on November 28 and the sending home of 600 Egyptians on November 6.
