Illegal migration has been a hot topic in relations between Egypt and Libya for decades. (Source: Getty Images)

Bardaa stressed that DCIM has begun deporting about 600 Egyptian citizens who entered Libya illegally. The migrants used buses to cross the area controlled by the opposition government in eastern Libya, aiming to reach the Egyptian border and head towards Europe.

Among them, thousands of Egyptians have settled in Libya for many years and serve in industries such as agriculture and construction, especially in the area around the capital Tripoli.

Following the fall of Muammar al-Gaddafi's regime in 2011, Libya was divided between rival forces in the east and west. Since then, United Nations (UN) agencies have been responsible for repatriating refugees and migrants in Libya.

However, following a recent agreement between the two rival governments in Libya, DCIM, an agency under the GNA's Interior Ministry, was tasked with deporting illegal migrants.

Libya has become a transit point for tens of thousands of migrants to Europe each year. According to the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 700,000 migrants arrived in Libya between May and June 2023.