A total of 174 Bangladeshi nationals detained at Libya’s Tajoura Detention Centre returned to Bangladesh today (1 September).
The migrants, who had voluntarily expressed their willingness to return, arrived in Bangladesh at 9:47am on a Burak Air flight with assistance from the Libyan government and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), according to a press release issued today (1 September).
The repatriation was facilitated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya and the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, in cooperation with the Libyan authorities and the IOM.
Most of the returnees are believed to have entered Libya after being lured and assisted by human traffickers with the intention of travelling to Europe illegally by sea, according to the ministry.
Some of the returnees also alleged that they had been kidnapped and tortured in Libya at different times.
Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant ministries, along with representatives from the IOM, received the returnees at the airport.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the returnees to share their experiences with others to raise public awareness about the risks associated with irregular migration and human trafficking.
The IOM provided each returnee with travel expenses, food supplies and basic medical care. Temporary accommodation was also arranged where necessary.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment and the IOM are jointly working to facilitate the safe repatriation of Bangladeshi nationals detained at various detention centres in Libya, the ministry said.
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