Libyan authorities on Tuesday began sending more than 320 irregular migrants to their home country Nigeria, an immigration official told AFP.
Libya has become a key departure point on North Africa's Mediterranean coast for migrants, mainly from other parts of Africa, risking dangerous sea voyages in hopes of reaching Europe.
Last year, Libya's rival administrations agreed on a Tripoli-based anti-immigration body tasked with coordinating deportations of foreigners who are in the country illegally.
"We carried out on Tuesday the expulsion of 163 irregular migrants of Nigerian nationality from the Mitiga airport, including 107 women, 51 men and five children," the migration agency's head of security, Mohamad Baredaa, said.
Over 700,000 migrants in Libya
In a move coordinated with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Baredaa added that "160 Nigerians will be sent back to their country from Benina airport in Benghazi" later on Tuesday.
An AFP correspondent saw the first group at Tripoli's Mitiga airport early Tuesday, where they were given a laissez-passer before boarding shuttles to the plane.
According to the IOM, there are more than 700,000 migrants in Libya.
Smugglers and traffickers have long been accused of abuses.
Voluntary return
In 2015, the UN-affiliated organisation established a "voluntary humanitarian return" scheme, arranging and financing travel for migrants and asylum seekers in Libya wishing to leave for their respective origin countries.
Last year, 9,370 people left under the programme, down from 11,200 in 2022, according to IOM figures.
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