The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Monday said that 285 migrants were intercepted and returned off the coast of Libya over the past week, Paralel.Az reports.

The migrants returned include at least three children, the IOM said in a statement on the social media platform X, adding that three bodies of migrants were recovered while 12 others remain missing.

So far this year, a total of 19,295 migrants have been intercepted and returned, while 568 migrants died and 783 others went missing off the Libyan coast, the IOM said.

Due to the ensuing insecurity and chaos after the downfall of late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has become a preferred departure point for many migrants, primarily from Africa, who attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach European shores.