Libya arrests, deports Europe-bound migrants

TRIPOLI, July 8 (Reuters) Libyan authorities arrested 1,451 illegal migrants trying to reach Europe from the North African country last month, a source at the public security ministry said today.

Its security forces also deported 1,622 would-be migrants of various nationalities during the same period, said the source, who wished not to be named.

In the 1990s, Libya welcomed migrants from other African countries as it sought to attract cheap labour to help repair an economy laid low by economic sanctions.

But, under pressure from European governments alarmed at Libya's growing role as a jumping-off point for Africans seeking jobs and a better life in Europe, it has changed its policy in recent years.

''These arrests and deportation operations are part of continuing efforts to fight this phenomenon,'' the source said.

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