Migrants rescued off the coast of Al-Khums, east of the Libyan capital, disembark a coastguard vessel at Tripoli's naval base on WednesdayLibya has rescued more than 1,500 would-be migrants off its west coast in the past week, a non-governmental organization said. "The Libyan coast guard has conducted several rescue operations from a week ago until (Wednesday) and rescued about 1,500 people," Adel al-Idrissi from the International Rescue Committee told AFP. Migrants intercepted off the Libyan coast object to being returned to the country, preferring to wait for humanitarian rescue ships. International agencies frequently denounce the return to Libya of migrants intercepted at sea due to the chaotic situation in the country and poor conditions in detention centers. More than 1,200 migrants and asylum-seekers died while crossing the Mediterranean in 2020, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Source: Libya Today February 10, 2021 20:26 UTC