The Federal Government has successfully repatriated 158 irregular Nigerian migrants from Libya. Nigeria’s Charge d’Affaires to Libya, Amb. Mohammed Mohammed, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
The repatriated group includes 77 males, 45 females, 26 children, and 10 infants. Amb. Mohammed noted that 26 of the males had been released from the Abu-Salim Detention Centre in Tripoli following their arrest during ongoing raids targeting undocumented foreigners in Libya.
To date, 1,776 stranded Nigerians have been repatriated under this collaborative effort between the Nigerian mission and Libyan authorities, facilitated by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) through its Voluntary Humanitarian Repatriation (VHR) program.
“This marks the 12th evacuation exercise carried out by the Nigerian Mission in Libya this year,” Mohammed stated. He added that this exercise follows the recent repatriation of 142 irregular Nigerian migrants from Sabha, Libya, on July 19.
Some of the evacuees had been rescued from the Mediterranean Sea by the Libyan Coastal Guards, while others were arrested for various offenses, including prostitution, illegal entry, overstay, and lack of proper documentation. Others voluntarily sought repatriation through the IOM in Libya.
Amb. Mohammed highlighted the negative reputation faced by Nigerians living in Libya due to the alleged criminal activities of a few among them.
News Editor