TRIPOLI, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Sunday said that 83 illegal immigrants have been rescued by the Libyan coast guard off the country's western coast.

"Today 83 migrants were returned to Libya by the coast guard," IOM tweeted.

"While our staff provide emergency assistance to migrants in detention and disembarkation points as a lifesaving measure, we maintain that Libya is not a safe port, and that the detention system must be dismantled," IOM said.

Encouraged by the state of insecurity and chaos that plagued the country since the 2011 fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime, illegal immigrants choose to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Libya towards Europe.

IOM estimated that more than 5,700 illegal immigrants have been rescued and returned to Libya by the Libyan coast guard so far this year, while more than 9,200 illegal immigrants were rescued and returned to Libya in 2019.

(Photo: Agencies)