Migrants are seen on a capsizing boat before a rescue operation off the coast of Libya in this photo released by the Italian Marina Militare. (File photo: Reuters).
Tripoli: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Monday that 790 migrants were intercepted off the coast of Libya in the past week.
From February 2 to 8, "790 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya," IOM said in a statement.
The migrants include 83 women and 40 children, IOM added, noting that 14 migrants went missing and 13 bodies of migrants were retrieved off the Libyan coast.
So far this year, a total of 3,188 migrants were intercepted at sea and returned to Libya, while 62 migrants died on the Central Mediterranean route, IOM said.
Because of the insecurity and chaos in the country since the fall of late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, many migrants, mostly Africans, chose to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores from Libya.
Libyan Interior Minister Emad al-Tarabelsi on Sunday said in a statement that Libya may resort to "forced deportation of illegal migrants" if the international community fails to support voluntary return programs for migrants in Libya to their countries of origin.
