In Libya 600 illegal African migrants detained

 In Libya 

600 illegal African migrants detained

The group is reported to include pregnant women and 18 children.

 

   

At least 600 illegal African migrants who had tried to sail to Europe on a fishing boat have been detained by Libya's coast guard.

The group is reported to include pregnant women and 18 children.

According to a statement by Mohamed al-Ghwaili, a spokesman for a police department tasked with tackling immigration, "the coast guard arrested early this morning 585 illegal migrants from different African countries such as Somalia, Eritrea, Ghana and Mali"

He also said that the Africans had tried to set off to Italy in an old fishing boat in Sabratha, a town west of the capital Tripoli.

Reuters reports that Libya's coastguard, under pressure from Europe to stem the flow, said on Sunday they had intercepted several boats carrying around 500 migrants and brought them back to shore.

Since the 2010 ousting of late leader, Muammar Gaddafi and subsequent breakdown of order, Libya  has turned into a major hub for human traffickers smuggling African migrants by boat to Italy.

Subsequently, Libya's coast guards have few resources and rely on fishing and tug boats to combat human trafficking as the central state authority has collapsed.