The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has announced that the Libyan Coast Guard intercepted 21,762 illegal immigrants at sea during 2024 and returned them to Libya.

The IOM explained that the immigrants included 18,981 men and 1,560 women, in addition to 1,227 other immigrants whose data has not been verified. 

Last year witnessed continued attempts by immigrants to cross the Mediterranean Sea from the Libyan coast, accompanied by the continuation of Libyan Coast Guard operations to intercept them, according to the IOM.

The organization indicated that this is greater than that recorded in 2023, when 17,190 immigrants were intercepted, while the number of immigrants intercepted at sea in 2022 reached 24,687 immigrants.

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