By Mehmet Nuri Ucar

TRIPOLI

At least 235 irregular migrants aboard rubber boats have been rescued off Libyan coasts, the country’s navy said Monday.

According to a statement by the Libyan navy, a total of 100 migrants were rescued on Sunday off the coast of the northwestern city of Khoms, located east of the capital Tripoli.

Some 135 migrants, including seven women and a child, were also rescued on Sunday off the northern and western coasts of Tripoli.

Ever since the collapse of the central authority in Libya in 2011, the country’s northwestern coast has become a hub for illegal migration to Italy and other countries in Europe.

Libya represents a major transit point for African migrants seeking access to Europe, especially Italy.