Libya deports migrants to Niger across land border

According to Chinese news outlet Xinhua, Libya has deported a group of migrants to Niger by land on Wednesday, as part of an ongoing operation to remove migrants from Libya to their countries of origin. Libya became a major transit point for migrants, mostly from Africa, seeking to reach Europe by sea after the 2011 overthrow of its late leader, Muammar Gaddafi, plunged the country into chaos.

The International Organization for Migration estimates that there are 787,326 migrants in Libya, with 41 percent of them reporting they experienced shocks such as environmental, political, or economic hardship before migrating to Libya.