No fewer than 138 Nigerian irregular migrants stranded in Libya have been evacuated by the Federal Government.
In a statement by Amb Kabiru Musa, Chargé D’Affaires En Titre of the Nigerian Mission in Libya, it was revealed that the Nigerian irregular migrants are set to return to the country on Tuesday.
The evacuees departed from the Mitiga International Airport on chartered flight UZ 189 on Tuesday afternoon and are expected to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos later the same day.
On this successful repatriation exercise, Musa mentioned, “Today, we successfully repatriated another batch of 138 Nigerians who were stranded in different parts of Libya as irregular migrants.”
The group of evacuees included 77 males, 56 females, 11 children, and four infants, and they departed from the Tripoli International Airport on chartered flight UZ 189 bound for the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos.
This marks the fourth evacuation carried out by the Nigerian Mission in Libya this year as part of the 4D foreign policy of the present administration and under the directives of the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs. Nearly one thousand stranded Nigerians have safely returned home in 2024 so far,” Musa stated.
The evacuation efforts were conducted in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Libya as part of its Voluntary Humanitarian Repatriation (VHR) program.
Furthermore, the support of the Libyan authorities facilitated the release and repatriation of individuals detained for immigration-related offenses.
Musa emphasized the need for young Nigerians to avoid irregular migration due to the risks involved and highlighted the importance of consular assistance to Nigerians in Libya.
Upon arrival in Nigeria, the evacuees will be received by relevant government agencies for rehabilitation and reintegration into society.