Libya intercepts 75 Europe-bound migrants at sea

TRIPOLI, Libya

Some 75 irregular migrants were held off the coast of Libya’s capital, the coast guard of the country’s UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) said Friday.

In a statement, the coast guard said the migrants -- who were planning to reach Europe on an inflatable boat -- were intercepted near Farwa island on the country’s western coast.

It said the migrants, including three women, were from Sudan, Somalia, Algeria, Morocco and some other African countries.

No other details were provided.

The incident came after Libya’s Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha announced Thursday that Libya plans to shut down three of its biggest migration detention centers in Misrata, Tajoura and Khoms.

Every year, thousands of irregular migrants use Libya as a gateway to cross the Mediterranean to Europe in overcrowded boats, often dying in the process.

Their numbers have declined since mid-2017 after Italy introduced a policy of returning migrants to Libya if found at sea.

The policy has drawn condemnation from human rights activists.

Libya has remained beset by turmoil since long-serving leader Muammar Gaddafi was ousted and killed in a bloody NATO-backed uprising in 2011.

Since then, the country has seen the emergence of two rival seats of power: one in eastern Libya, to which military commander Khalifa Haftar is affiliated, and another in Tripoli, which enjoys UN recognition.