Ashraf Al-Badri, a Libyan coast guard official, said one of their reports indicated that a boat, which carried 123 migrants of different African nationalities on its way to Italy, was rescued about 16km off Garabolli coast, or some 60km east of the capital Tripoli. No casualties were reported.
Al-Badri said the migrants will be taken to an immigration center after necessary legal procedures.
Libya has become a preferred point of transit for refugees wanting to cross to Europe, due to the state of chaos and insecurity the country has been suffering from since the fall of its former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
The International Organization for Migration estimates that more than 350,000 migrants have reached Europe by sea this year, and 2,600 died while trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, many of whom departed from Libya.
By Ruchi Singh
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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