Africa
01:07, 18-May-2019
Libyan coast guard rescues 61 off western coast
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Libya's coast guards on Thursday said they rescued 61 illegal immigrants off the country's western coast.
The immigrants were on a broken rubber boat 30 miles (48 km) off the coast of the capital Tripoli when they were found, the coast guards said in a statement.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Higher Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) provided necessary assistance to the immigrants before they were taken to a reception center in eastern Tripoli.
Due to the insecurity and chaos following the 2011 uprising that toppled the late leader Gaddafi's government, Libya becomes a preferred point of departure for thousands of illegal immigrants wanting to cross the Mediterranean toward European shores.