592 migrants intercepted off Libyan coast over past week: IOM

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday said that 592 migrants were intercepted off the coast of Libya in the past week, reported Xinhua.

IOM said in a statement that from January 26 to February 1, 592 migrants, including 64 women and 33 children, were intercepted and returned to Libya, adding that seven migrants went missing and 21 bodies were retrieved off the Libyan coast.

So far this year, a total of 2,398 migrants have been intercepted at sea and returned to Libya while 36 died on the Central Mediterranean route, IOM added.

In 2024, a total of 21,762 migrants were rescued and returned to Libya, while 674 died and 1,015 went missing on the route, including those departing from Libya and other countries.

Since the fall of late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, many migrants, mostly Africans, chose to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores from Libya.