Italian foreign minister, Angelino Alfano said the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been able to repatriate some 19,000 illegal immigrants from Libya in 2017.
Addressing the Italian House of Representatives, Alfano said that their priorities are to improve the conditions of shelters for illegal immigrants in Libya in cooperation with Italian and Libyan non-governmental organizations.
Alfano confirmed that they had achieved “significant” results in combating what he called ” criminal networks of human trafficking operations” in Libya, pointing out that they allocated $ 18 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and IOM.
The IOM in Libya, announced that it has provided relief and humanitarian assistance to about 41 thousand illegal immigrants inside and outside the shelters in Libya in 2017.