TRIPOLI, July 25 -- The Illegal Migration Control Department of Libya on Thursday deported more than 700 illegal migrants to their home countries of Niger and Egypt, an official told Xinhua.

"The number of migrants is between 700 and 750," said Mohamed Breda, a security affairs officer of the department.

He said that "the deportation of migrants from Libya will continue."

Since the fall of late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the ensuing insecurity and chaos in Libya have prompted many migrants, primarily from Africa, to attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach European shores.

Libyan Interior Minister Emad al-Tarabelsi said earlier in July that the number of foreign nationals currently in Libya is around 2.5 million, most of whom crossed the Libyan borders without entry visas.

  - Xinhua