- The International Organisation for Migration’s (IOM), mission in Libya has reported that the African Union (AU) aided not less than 5,200 migrants to return to their countries from Libya in 2017
- The chief of the mission, Othman Belbeisi, said that the number of migrants in detention camps have reduced from about 20,000 people in October 2017 to 4,000 presently
- Belbeisi also said that organisation in Libya was also working with the authorities to register migrants, provide lifesaving assistance in the form of healthcare and necessary aids
The International Organisation for Migration’s (IOM) mission in Libya.has said that the African Union (AU), supported 5,200 migrants to return home safely from Libya since November 2017.
Othman Belbeisi, chief of IOM mission in Libya, said thousands of migrants had also returned home safely from the war-torn nation since 2017 through a programme supported by the United Nations (UN), Premium Times reports.
Belbeisi said: “We are continuing to assist migrants inside Libyan detention centres, while increasing efforts to reach stranded migrants outside of detention.
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“Since the expansion of our Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) operation, the number of migrants in official detention centres have dropped from an estimated 20,000 people in October 2017 to 4,000 people today, a five-fold decrease.”
He said that since January 2017, some 23,302 migrants had repatriated through the VHR programme, which consists of the European Union (EU), AU and Libyan government.
Belbeisi stated that IOM in Libya was also working with the authorities to register migrants, provide lifesaving assistance in the form of healthcare and essential aid items.
He said nearly half of voluntary returns executed by IOM from Libya were part of the larger EU-IOM joint initiative on migrant protection and reintegration initiative that supported reintegration for returnees in countries of origin.
According to him, the initiative is active in Libya as well as 26 countries in north Africa, such as Sahel, the Lake Chad region, and the Horn of Africa.
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Eugenio Ambrosi, IOM regional director for the EU, said the VHR operation’s scale of protection needs and number of returns had overtaken initial planning and thus stands as challenges for the countries of origin.
Ambrosi said: “We are embarking on a completely new approach to reintegration and we believe in it. It will take some time to build, and in cooperation with authorities in countries of origin and the local communities, we are already seeing promising developments.”
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He remarked that working with partners, IOM had been making efforts to meet the surge in returnees and ensure assistance upon their arrival, alongside trying to rehabilitate them in their various communities.
Ambrosi said the programme also offered assistance related to re-integration for those returning from EU nations.
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com reported that some international charity ships and the Libya's coastguard had picked up hundreds of migrants near Libya border with Tunisia.
NAIJ.com gathered that the Libyan coastguard vessels intercepted three migrant boats which had broken down with 125 people on board off Zawiya, west of the capital, Tripoli.
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Source: Naija.ng