TRIPOLI - The Libyan Coast Guard said on Tuesday it had rescued 88 migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.

In a statement posted on its official Facebook page, the Coast Guard said its vessel Wadi Kaam 300P "managed to rescue 88 illegal migrants of different nationalities" off the Libyan coast after receiving a report that their boat had broken down.

The migrants were disembarked at Tripoli port, the statement said.

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"Legal measures were taken against them and they were handed over to the Illegal Migration Control Department after they received the proper medical care, in the presence of the International Organization for Migration (IOM)," it added.

Libya has become a main departure point for migrants, mostly from Africa, seeking to reach Europe by sea, taking advantage of the political instability and insecurity that has plagued the country since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi.

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According to IOM figures, 21,762 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya in 2024, while 674 died and 1,015 went missing on the Central Mediterranean route.