Libyan Interior Minister, Emad al-Tarabelsi, on Tuesday announced that 486 illegal migrants had been deported to their countries of origin.

The minister said this at a press conference, adding that 294 of illegal migrants were from Egypt, while the others were from different African countries.

Al-Tarabelsi said the deportees included those recently left stranded near the Tunisian border after being expelled by Tunisian authorities.

“The international community and the European Union must help Libya to reduce this phenomenon, which has burdened the country with the presence of large numbers of migrants.

“The Ministry of the Interior has launched an expanded security campaign to arrest human traffickers and refer them to court.

“These efforts will be intensified in the future,” al-Tarabelsi said.

Since the fall of the late Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, in 2011, the unrest-hit country has become a preferred point of departure for illegal migrants who want to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores.