The Libyan security authorities announced on Thursday that they had captured and deported 2,258 illegal immigrants attempting to enter Europe through the north African country in the past 12 days, said reports from Tripoli.

Among the illegal immigrants, 1,101 were captured between Aug. 1 and Aug. 11, and the other 1,157 were detained earlier.

Libya has recently announced the establishment of a new border security service to stem the flow of illegal immigrants to Europe.

On April 25, the International Organization for Migration set up a liaison office in Libya.

With a coastline of more than 1,900 km along the Mediterranean, Libya has become a springboard for illegal immigrants from neighboring African countries seeking to enter Europe in recent years.

Source: Xinhua