Tripoli, Jul 19 (IANS): The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has said that 193 migrants were returned to Libya after being rescued off the coast last week.

"In the period of July 10-16, 2022, 193 migrants have been disembarked back on Libyan shores," IOM added on Monday in a statement.

A total of 10,465 migrants have been rescued and returned to Libya so far in 2022, including 694 women and 400 minors, the UN agency said.

The UN agency also added that 176 migrants died and 634 others went missing on the Central Mediterranean route in 2022, Xinhua news agency reported.

In 2021, a total of 32,425 migrants were rescued and returned to Libya, while 662 died and 891 others went missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route, according to IOM.

Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making the North African country a preferred point of departure for irregular migrants who want to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores.