97 vulnerable asylum-seekers airlifted from Libya to Italy

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Tuesday that 97 vulnerable asylum-seekers have been airlifted from Libya to Italy, reported Xinhua.

"This afternoon, an evacuation flight from Tripoli to Rome, Italy, offered a vital lifeline to 97 vulnerable asylum-seekers, marking the first such evacuation from Libya this year," UNHCR said in a statement.

The evacuated individuals include women at risk of exploitation, survivors of violence, their children, and those with severe medical conditions, the statement said, adding the majority of them are refugees from Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Syria.

"We are very pleased to see these important flights continue, with the support from the Libyan authorities," said Aseer Al-Madaien, chief of the UNHCR mission in Libya.

"We urge other states to follow Italy's lead in opening humanitarian corridors, alleviating pressure on host countries and contributing to a more sustainable response to the urgent needs of refugees in Libya and beyond," Al-Madaien added.

Since 2017, UNHCR has successfully evacuated or resettled 11,335 refugees and asylum-seekers from Libya, among whom over 1,300 were sent to Italy alone. According to the UN agency, there are over 59,000 registered refugees in Libya.

Because of the insecurity and chaos in Libya since the fall of its late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, many illegal immigrants, mostly Africans, have chosen to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores from the country.