TRIPOLI: Almost 100 migrants were rescued off Libya’s west coast on Sunday as they made failed attempts to reach Europe, while around 20 were missing, AFP reporters and the coastguard said.

People traffickers have thrived amid the lawlessness that followed the overthrow of dictator Moamer Kadhafi’s regime in 2011, making the North African country an important conduit for migrants seeking safety and a better life in Europe.

The Libyan coastguard rescued the mostly African migrants as they attempted perilous sea crossings to Italy and brought them to a naval base in the capital Tripoli, where they were met by a team from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The majority of the migrants were from Cameroon, Sudan and Mali, an IOM representative said.

The survivors included six women and two children. Two people in critical condition were transported to hospital in the Libyan capital. Some 20 people were still missing, according to the coastguard.