Libyan Coast Guard Rescues Over 90 Undocumented Migrants In Mediterranean Sea - Navy

TRIPOLI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th October, 2019) The Libyan Coast Guard has rescued 94 illegal migrants off Libya's coast in the Mediterranean Sea, the spokesperson of the Libyan Navy, Ayoub Qassem, said in a statement on Sunday.

"On Sunday morning, the Navy special forces rescued 94 irregular migrants, including 14 women and four children, in a small inflatable boat," Qassem said.

According to the statement, the boat was overcrowded and started sinking as water leaked into it, approximately four miles into the Mediterranean from the Tajour naval base.

Qassem added that all rescued migrants had been provided with medical and humanitarian aid.

The so-called Mediterranean route is one of the most popular, but also the most dangerous tracks of irregular migration to the European continent. Thousands of illegal migrants risk their lives embarking upon a sea passage on unsafe, decrepit boats not designed for such long transfers and often operated by smugglers. According to the International Organization for Migration, an approximate 600 people have died since January trying to reach Europe by sea via the Mediterranean.