Over the past two years, the 11,173 migrants assisted by the International Organization for Migration IOM in Libya included 1,614 people who were identified as human trafficking victims, according to a new report released by the UN agency, and cited by the website Libya Update on August 1.

Just over half of the victims were women (596), the report noted. Proportionally though, women are "more at risk of exploitation based on overall gender-based demographic data," said the report, which was published on Twitter.

It added that 76% of migrants in Libya are men, 12% women and 12% children.

Victims of trafficking

"The victims identified mainly came from Nigeria, Somalia and Sudan" and the "most common forms of exploitation discovered were abduction for extortion, forced labor and sexual exploitation", said the report's summary.

It added that "the most common way for traffickers to control their victims was physical abuse."

In one week, 446 migrants picked up and sent back to Libya

The IOM has said that 446 migrants were picked up off the coast of Libya and sent back to the country from July 17 to July 23.

So far in 2022, a total of 11,057 migrants have been intercepted and returned to Libya, including 698 women and 422 minors, IOM said in a statement.

According to the UN organization, 180 migrants were reported dead and 648 others went missing along the central Mediterranean route so far this year.