175 Bangladeshis return from Libya

Staff Reporter :

A total of 175 Bangla-deshi nationals, most of whom had entered Libya illegally after being lured by traffickers, have safely returned home on Thursday.

Their return was made possible through the coordinated efforts of the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, the Libyan government, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The group includes 30 individuals who were detained at the Ganfuda Detention Centre in Benghazi and 145 others living in vulnerable conditions in and around Benghazi, many of whom were physically unwell or in distress. They were flown back to Bangladesh this morning at 8 am on a Burraq Air flight, according to Foreign Ministry on Thursday.

Most of the returnees had reportedly entered Libya illegally, lured by human traffickers with the intent of reaching Europe by sea. Several of them had also been victims of abduction and abuse during their time in Libya.

Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and IOM welcomed the returnees at the airport and urged them to share their experiences to raise public awareness about the dangers of irregular migration. The International Organization for Migration provided the returnees with travel allowances, basic food supplies, initial medical care, and temporary shelter if required.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, and IOM continue to work together to ensure the safe return of Bangladeshi citizens held in various detention centers across Libya.