The head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) office in Libya, Federico Soda confirmed Tuesday, that a large number of Tunisians stuck at the Libyan-Tunisian Ras Ijdir border due to the coronavirus lockdown have crossed back to their country.

Soda posted on his Twitter account a video from the border showing hundreds of them carrying their personal belongings and marching towards the border.

The IOM head of office in Libya said on Monday that they forced their way across the border into Tunisia; however, the Tunisian interior minister denied these reports and said the authorities allowed 652 to enter from Libya.

Since the coronavirus lockdown, some 1,300 Tunisians -mostly migrant workers- have been stuck at the border point of Ra Ijdir, demanding their government to facilitate their return.

A Libyan Red Crescent official told AFP that around 20,000 Tunisians are still stranded in Libya.