TRIPOLI, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has deported 169 illegal immigrants from Libya to Niger, the organization said in a statement on Wednesday.

IOM said "169 migrants, including 14 children, were able to return to their homeland in Niger through the Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli to Niamey."

The deportation was carried out within the organization's voluntary return program, the statement noted.

Migrant shelters in Libya are crowded with thousands of migrants who have been rescued at sea or arrested by Libyan authorities. IOM provides them with an opportunity to return home voluntarily.

The program is carried out in Libya since 2006 to arrange the return of illegal migrants stranded in Libya to their countries of origin.

The organization deported 20,000 illegal migrants from Libya to their countries of origin in 2017.