Police in the North African country of Libya have detained more than 500 Bangladeshis off the coast of the Mediterranean.
They were detained on Saturday as they prepared to cross the east coast of the country’s capital, Tripoli, to Europe.
Bangladesh Ambassador to Libya Major General SM Shamim Uz Zaman, confirmed the matter, according to a Voice of America (VOA) report.
The ambassador told VOA that, “Initially, the Libyan police informed us about the detention of 500 Bangladeshis. However, we have been able to contact 240 people so far.”
This is the first time since 2016 that a large number of Bangladeshis have been detained from the coast in a single day.
More than 600 migrants were rescued from the sea that year. In 2020, 26 immigration hopefuls were killed in a prison controlled by brokers.