Libyan authorities have deported 248 undocumented migrants to their home countries Niger and Chad in a joint effort by rival administrations in the war-torn country.
The North African country has become a hub for tens of thousands of migrants seeking to reach Europe by sea every year, often falling into the hands of trafficking gangs that extort them for money.
An official with Tripoli’s government agency against clandestine migration said 120 Nigeriens had left Libya for Niamey in coordination with the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The official said the exercise was carried out in coordination with Libya’s eastern-based authorities, stating 128 migrants would be taken to the border with Chad.
