TRIPOLI, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- UN Support Mission in Libya on Sunday said that 25 migrants from Niger, including women and children, have been repatriated from the Libyan capital Tripoli on Saturday to Niger.
"The group is heading to Niger as part of a humanitarian evacuation initiative between UNHCR, the Libyan government and the government of Niger. Among these 25 refugees, there were 15 women, six men and four children," the mission said in a statement on Sunday.
The mission stressed the importance of such humanitarian evacuation "in addressing the need for safe solutions and alternative pathways for the most vulnerable refugees in Libya who are often forced to embark on deadly sea journeys in search of international protection."
Due to the insecurity and chaos that followed the 2011 uprising, Libya is a major point of departure for illegal immigrants wanting to cross the Mediterranean towards European shores.
Migrants who are rescued by the Libyan navy at sea are detained in reception centers with poor living conditions.
