TRIPOLI: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Tuesday said it secured the release of 141 refugees from detention in western Libya.

“UNHCR secured last week the release from detention of 141 refugee men, women and children,” the UN agency said.

“They were held at Suq Alkhamees detention center, 140 km East of Tripoli, some of them for over a year. UNHCR provided them with relief items, food packages and medical check ups,” it said.

Thousands of illegal immigrants, mostly Africans, chose to cross the Mediterranean from Libya towards Europe, due to the state of insecurity and chaos in the North African nation following the overthrow of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Immigrant shelters in Libya are crowded with thousands of immigrants either rescued from the sea or arrested by the Libyan security forces, despite international calls to close those centers.

The agency said that there are 45,661 registered refugees and asylum-seekers currently in Libya.