Tripoli, Dec 22 (IANS): The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has said that 11,891 illegal migrants have been rescued off the Libyan coast so far in 2020, compared with 9,225 in 2019.

The migrants rescued this year include 811 women and 711 children, Xinhua news agency quoted the IOM as saying in a statement on Monday.

The UN migration agency also said that 316 migrants died and 417 others went missing on the Central Mediterranean route so far this year, compared with 270 migrants dead and 992 missing in 2019.

Thousands of illegal immigrants, mostly Africans, chose to cross the Mediterranean from Libya towards Europe, due to the state of insecurity and chaos in the North African nation following the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

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 those centres.

According to the UNHCR, there are currently 44,725 registered refugees and asylum-seekers in Libya.