ACCRA, May 17 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says it has facilitated the safe return of some 706 Ghanaians from detention camps in Libya back to Ghana over the past 11 months.

A statement released here Thursday signed by Sylvia Lopez-Ekra, Chief of Mission said over 450 Ghanaians have been rescued by the organization from various detention centers across the Arab country since June 2017.

The IOM says 70 percent of the returnees are being returned from various detention centers in Libya, while the remaining are from the cities.

"The number of Ghanaians returning from detention situations in Libya remains high, highlighting the need for continued interventions to ensure their protection. Our priority is to ensure the safe and dignified voluntary humanitarian return home for all Ghanaians in need in Libya," Lopez-Ekra said.

Some 62,422 Ghanaians have been identified to be in Libya as of March 2018, according to the IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), with Ghanaians ranking 5th after Egyptians, Nigeriens, Chadians and Sudanese out of 38 different nationalities in Libya.