IOM repatriates 127 migrants from Libya to their home countries

BY Libyan Express Sep 14, 2019 - 18:41

Migrants from Niger wait before they are deported by Libyan authorities, in Misrata, Libya, February 19, 2018. [REUTERS/Ayman al-Sahili]

The International Organization for Migration reports it has repatriated 127 African and Asian migrants stranded in Libya.

Tripoli’s Mitiga International airport was shut down last Sunday after being hit by missiles.

For safety reasons, IOM’s chartered plane with 127 migrants aboard took off earlier this week from Misrata, about a two-hour drive east of the Libyan capital.

From there, the passengers, which included women and children, flew to Istanbul and then onwards to their home countries.

Missions from 15 countries in Africa and Asia, including Gambia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Bangladesh and Egypt were involved in the complex, risky operation.

Despite all the difficulties, IOM has succeeded in returning more than 7,200 stranded migrants to their countries of origin this year.

Upon their return, the migrants receive a reintegration package that helps them resume their lives, continue their education or start a small business.

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