Migrants cross the Sahara desert to Libya in the hope of reaching Europe.

The migrants were rescued near Garabulli, about 60km east of the capital Tripoli, after their boat broke down at sea. The coastguard did not specify the date of the rescue but confirmed that the migrants, of various nationalities, were taken to a port in Tripoli and handed over to the Illegal Migration Control Department.

Since the fall of President Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has been in turmoil. The country has become a transit point for many migrants, mainly from Africa, making the dangerous Mediterranean crossing in the hope of reaching Europe.

According to statistics from the International Organization for Migration (IOC), since the beginning of 2024, nearly 12,600 migrants have been intercepted off the coast of Libya and returned to the country.