- 221 illegal migrants from African, Asian countries have been repatriated from Libya
- The deportation was in cooperation with the International Organisation for Migration
- Libya is a a preferred point of departure for immigrants hoping to reach Europe
Libyan authorities have deported 221 illegal immigrants from African and Asian countries as part of the immigration department’s voluntary return programme, NAN reports.
The department said in the statement, that 163 Somali nationals had left for their home country on an airplane of local airliner, Al-Buraq.
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NAIJ.com gathers that the department said the deportation was in cooperation with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
“This is the first direct flight to leave Tripoli’s M’etiga International Airport to the Somali capital Mogadishu,” the department said.
In addition, the department said 30 migrants from Bangladesh and 28 from Pakistan were sent to their countries of origin.
Libya has become a preferred point of departure for immigrants hoping to reach Europe after domestic conflicts erupted in the North African country in 2011.
The voluntary return program is carried out by the IOM in Libya to help illegal immigrants stranded in Libya return to their countries of origin.
Some 20,000 illegal immigrants returned home via the program in 2017.
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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that a batch of 218 Nigerians, which included seven pregnant women on Tuesday, May 8, voluntarily returned from the volatile North African country of Libya where they had been stranded enroute Europe.
The returnees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos about 3.44am aboard a chartered Libyan Airlines Airbus A330-200 aircraft with registration number 5A-LAU.
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Source: Naija.ng