At least 160 migrants die off Libya coast in one week
(VOVWORLD) - At least 160 migrants have drowned off Libya’s coast after their boats sank in the past week, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday.
 Photo: VNA |
The IOM said 466 migrants were intercepted or rescued at sea and returned to Libya between December 12 and 18.
Libya, which plunged into civil war after a 2011 coup toppled former leader Muammar Qaddafi, has become a key route for migrants seeking to reach Europe to escape poverty and conflict. 1,500 migrants drowned on this route this year, according to the IOM.