Libyan authorities announced that the bodies of 61 migrants have been found off the country's western coast in the past two weeks alone.

The Emergency Medical and Support Center, which is under the Libyan Ministry of Health, said the bodies were found in areas from Zuwara to Ras Lajar, near the Tunisian border.

"All the bodies were of illegal immigrants, with three bodies found in Melitah and 12 in Zuwara," the center said in a statement on Saturday.

Authorities announced that the bodies of 12 migrants have been buried so far, while the rest have been sent to the morgue for examination and identification.

Libya is a key transit country for illegal immigrants from Africa and the Middle East seeking to cross the sea to Europe.

The International Organization for Migration estimates that there are currently 900,000 refugees from 45 countries in Libya.

The country has been in a state of constant unrest since the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Its coastline is also serving as a major route for illegal immigration, claiming the lives of many migrants.