The Libyan army said it had detained more than 300 migrants. The army, which announced the arrests on Monday (Nov 25), said the detainees were trying to cross the desert to reach the Mediterranean coast. British news agency Reuters reported this news.
A patrol in the desert stopped the migrants and they will be handed over to the relevant authorities, the Tripoli-based 444 Brigade of the Libyan army said in a Facebook post.
Pictures released by the brigade showed men, women and children sitting on the ground surrounded by soldiers. However, the brigade did not specify the exact date of their detention.
Libya has been at peace since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi's government in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011. In 2014, the country was split into two – rival administrations based in Tripoli in the west and Benghazi in the east.
Libya has now become an important transit point for war- and poverty-stricken migrants from Africa, the Middle East and other regions. Every year thousands of people travel through Libya in the hope of crossing the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe.
The arrest is believed to be part of efforts to curb human trafficking. But human rights organizations have long reported unethical treatment and degrading conditions in Libyan migrant centers.
Meanwhile, political instability in Libya is hampering the resolution of the migration crisis, further complicating the country's human rights situation.
