Police in northern Libya have detained more than 500 Bangladeshis off the Mediterranean coast. Police detained them Saturday (April 23rd) as they prepared to cross the Mediterranean illegally from the eastern coastal district of Misrata in Tripoli.

Confirming the news, Maj. Gen. SM Shamim Uz Zaman, Bangladesh’s ambassador to Libya, said: “Initially, the Libyan police told us they had detained 500 Bangladeshis. However, we have been able to communicate with 240 people so far. “It simply came to our notice then.

According to Libyan police, a total of 541 people have been detained, including more than 500 Bangladeshis.

Meanwhile, citing a security source, Turkish media TRT World reported that Libyan authorities had detained 542 migrants preparing to sail to Europe.

According to Bangladesh embassy sources, the migrants detained on Saturday were first kept in a detention center in the district town of Misrata. Due to the congestion, a section has been shifted to a center on Airport Road in the capital Tripoli. Police provided them with food, drink and other emergency assistance. After the verification of citizenship, they will be sent back to their respective countries.

This is the first time since 2016 that a large number of Bangladeshis have been detained from the coast in a single day. In 2016, more than 600 migrants were rescued from the sea. In 2020, 27 immigration hopefuls were killed in a prison controlled by brokers. Since then, the number of illegal immigrants on this route has been greatly reduced. During the Corona period, travel was almost closed.