Libyan navy rescues scores of migrants stranded at sea

By Waleed Abdullah

TRIPOLI, Libya (AA) - Libyan naval forces on Thursday announced the rescue of 121 undocumented migrants who were found aboard a life raft off the coast of the Abu-Kammash border area with Tunisia.

The migrants, including one child and 24 women, were discovered at sea on Wednesday roughly 25 kilometers north of Abu-Kammash, the navy said in a statement.

Of different African nationalities, they were taken to a naval base in Tripoli for medical treatment before being handed over to Libya’s anti-illegal immigration agency.

In recent years, Libya’s northern coast has become a hub for illegal immigration to Europe.

More than 150,000 would-be migrants are estimated to have made the perilous sea journey from Libya to the coast of Italy within the last three years alone.