An Egyptian security source and an eastern Libyan security source claimed that in recent days, eastern Libyan troops deported thousands of Egyptian migrants who were living in Libya illegally and on foot across the land border to Egypt.
Following a shootout between security officers and smugglers, the Libyan security source claimed that 4,000 migrants had been discovered during raids on people traffickers and had all been deported.
Only roughly 2,200 of the 4,000 migrants discovered by Libyan security forces were in the country illegally, according to the Egyptian security source, and they were the only ones removed. While some of them had other African nationalities, the majority of them were Egyptians.
According to the Egyptian security source, after being deported, they were brought to a site near the border and forced to walk roughly 2 kilometres into Egypt.
According to migration authorities, Libya is home to some 500,000 migrants, many of whom are trying to reach Europe by sea. Others have relocated to Libya in search of employment in the nation’s oil-rich economy.
Italy, the final destination of the majority of the boats, reports a dramatic increase in the number of migrants traveling from Libya to Europe this year.
Security forces, according to the Libyan source, demolished a harbour used by people smugglers.
Since a NATO-backed rebellion in 2011, Libya has seen little security or stability, and many migrants have experienced maltreatment at the hands of locals.
In western areas of Libya, territory is controlled by a host of rival armed factions. Eastern Libya is controlled by commander Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army.
