LIBYA: Libyan authorities arrest 270 illegal migrants in town of al-Zawiya

Record ID: 348733

  • Title: LIBYA: Libyan authorities arrest 270 illegal migrants in town of al-Zawiya
  • Date: 12th May 2014
  • Summary: AL-ZAWIYA, LIBYA (MAY 12, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ILLEGAL MIGRANTS SEATED ON GROUND AT CAMP (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) OFFICER OF LEGAL AFFAIRS AT LIBYA'S WESTERN REGION, NASSER AL-SHEBANG, SAYING: "Yesterday we arrested a big number of some 270 of illegal migrants at sea near the oil refinery of al-Zawiya who were heading to Italy." VARIOUS OF FAMILIES INCLUDING WOMEN AND
  • Embargoed: 27th May 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Libya
  • Country: Libya
  • Topics: Crime,General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA1Q7WWUA54K8OSYVAMPCWFXN1S
  • Story Text: Libyan police said on Monday (May 12) that they have arrested 270 illegal migrants near the town of al-Zawiya, 50 kilometres west of Tripoli.
    "Yesterday we arrested a big number of some 270 of illegal migrants at sea near the oil refinery of al-Zawiya and were heading to Italy", Nasser al-Shebang, the Officer of Legal Affairs at the Libya's western region said.
    Al-Shebang said that the migrants included women and children from Syria, Sudan and Eretria who were headed to Italy.
    "We came from Sudan via the desert, we heard that from Libya we can travel to Italy, we arrived in Tripoli and from Tripoli we head to the sea," said Mahjoub, an illegal migrant from Sudan.
    On Sunday at least 40 people died and 51 others were rescued after a boat carrying mostly sub-Saharan African migrants sank off Libya's coast east of Tripoli, the Libyan government said on Sunday.
    The vessel appeared to have got into difficulty around 37 miles (60 km) east of Tripoli, Ramie Kael, a spokesman for the Libyan ministry of interior said.
    Libya's porous borders with its sub-Saharan neighbours and its proximity to Italy and Malta across the Mediterranean have made the North African country a common transit route for migrants trying to reach Europe.
    With their coast guard, navy and armed forces ill-equipped and still in training, Libyan officials want more help from Western partners to stem the flow of illegal migrants trying to cross through Libya to Europe.
    In March, Italy's navy rescued more than 4,000 migrants from overcrowded boats in the Mediterranean sea south of Sicily in just four days.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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