Tripoli, March 15 (IANS) The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has said that 301 illegal immigrants have been rescued by the Libyan Coast Guard off Libyan coast.

"Most of them (the rescued migrants) were taken to detention, while some managed to escape the disembarkation point," IOM tweeted.

Libya has become a preferred point of departure for illegal immigrants, mostly Africans, who expect to cross the Mediterranean Sea toward Europe, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to IOM, more than 110,000 illegal immigrants made their way to Europe through the Mediterranean in 2019, while 1,283 died on the way.

Immigrant shelters in Libya are crowded with thousands of immigrants either rescued from the sea or arrested by the Libyan security forces, despite international calls to close them.

--IANS sdr/