Libya's UN-backed Foreign Minister Mohamed Sayala on Thursday called for speedy repatriation of illegal immigrants from Libya to their countries of origins.

Sayala made his remarks during a meeting with William Swing, director general of International Organization for Migration (IOM), in the capital Tripoli, where the two officials discussed efforts against illegal immigration, Libyan TV reported.

"We must expedite the repatriation of migrants to their countries and reduce the duration of their stay in shelters, in coordination with the Libyan authorities," Sayala told a joint press conference with Swing.

"The director general of IOM praised the work of the local authorities in rescuing and sheltering the migrants and facilitating their return," the Libyan official said.

The Libyan coast guards have rescued thousands of migrants off Libyan coast since the beginning of 2018.

"We have made significant progress in addressing the impact of migration on Libya and the countries affected by it," Swing said, stressing IOM cooperation with EU to provide employment opportunities for migrants returning to their countries to discourage them from becoming illegal immigrants again.

Following the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime, insecurity and chaos in Libya has turned it into a departure point for illegal immigrants hoping to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.

According to the IOM, nearly 9,000 illegal immigrants were voluntarily repatriated in the first half of 2018.

Xinhua