158 Nigerian Irregular Migrants To Libya Were Repatriated, Says Envoy

Amb. Mohammed Mohammed, Charge d’Affaires of the Nigerian Mission in Tripoli, Libya, has confirmed that 158 Nigerian irregular migrants have been repatriated from Libya.

The envoy, in a press release issued on Wednesday, stated that the repatriation operation was carried out by the Mission in collaboration with Libyan authorities and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) under the organization’s Voluntary Humanitarian Repatriation (VHR) program.

According to the release, the evacuees took off from Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli on chartered flight UZ 189 at 1500hrs local time and arrived at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos at 1800hrs.

According to Mohammed, the group of evacuees included 77 men, 45 women, 26 children, and 10 infants.

The Nigerian Embassy stated that the latest repatriation of these Nigerians was due to a lack of proper documentation and accusations of various criminal activities, among others.

The Embassy reported that 26 males arrested as part of the ongoing raid on undocumented foreigners in Libya had been released from the Abu-Salim Detention Centre in Tripoli.

The Mission also stated that upon arrival in Nigeria, the evacuees were met by relevant government agencies such as NAPTIP, the Nigerian Immigration Service, Airport Security, and the NDLEA. These evacuees are expected to go through rehabilitation and reintegration before being released back into society.

According to Mohammed, nearly 1, 776 stranded Nigerians have already been safely returned home in 2024.

While urging citizens to avoid irregular migrations, the Nigerian Envoy praised the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Libyan authorities, and the IOM for assisting so many evacuees who desperately wanted to return home but lacked the means to do so.

He stated, “This is the twelfth evacuation exercise conducted by the Nigerian Mission in Libya this year.

“The current exercise follows the repatriation of one hundred forty-two (142) irregular Nigerian migrants from Sabha, Libya, on July 9.

“While some were rescued from the Mediterranean Sea by Libyan Coastal Guards, others were arrested on charges of prostitution, illegally entering the country, overstaying, and lack of proper documentation, while others willingly surrendered to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Libya for repatriation.

“You know, there have been increasing and coordinated raids on illegal migrants across Libya’s cities, and these are likely to continue as Libyan authorities consider the influx of illegal migrants in the country a national security issue and have vowed to use all legal means to combat the threat.

“Nigerians living in Libya, according to many indications, have already harmed their reputations as a result of the alleged criminal activities of some of their fellow citizens.Some have been accused of committing crimes such as kidnapping for ransom, drug dealing, prostitution, alcohol sales, cultism, and human trafficking with their Libyan collaborators, among others.

“As a result of the foregoing, the arrest and deportation of Nigerians may continue in the coming weeks and months,” the Nigerian Envoy stated.

Concerned about the challenges of illegal migration, Libyan authorities recently hosted the Trans-Mediterranean Migration Forum in Tripoli on July 17, 2024, bringing together source, transit, and destination countries to discuss solutions to irregular migration.

The International Organisation for Migration’s Voluntary Humanitarian Repatriation Programme ensures the safe, dignified, and expedited return of willing migrants. Through its ongoing collaboration with this organisation, the federal government has ensured that many irregular Nigerian migrants return home on a regular basis.