Libyan authorities deported more than 150 Nigerian women and children on Tuesday under a UN-affiliated voluntary return programme for irregular migrants, according to an immigration official and UN sources.
Libya, a major transit hub for African migrants hoping to reach Europe, has long been a hotspot for human trafficking and dangerous sea crossings.
Mohamad Baredaa of Libya’s migration agency confirmed to AFP that the deported migrants were all Nigerian women accompanied by children. Sources at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN agency overseeing the repatriation, reported that the group included 160 women and 17 children.
Wearing mostly black tracksuits, the migrants gathered at a Tripoli detention centre before being transported by bus to Mitiga Airport for their return journey.
Baredaa also revealed that additional repatriation flights were scheduled for this week, carrying migrants from Bangladesh, Gambia, and Mali from airports in Tripoli and Benghazi.
Since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has faced widespread violence and instability, allowing traffickers to exploit migrants. Smugglers have been accused of abusing and exploiting vulnerable individuals seeking passage to Europe.
The IOM estimates that over 700,000 migrants currently reside in Libya, but Libyan authorities claim the actual number is much higher. Interior Minister Imad Trabelsi suggested that more than four million migrants may be in the country, though many remain undocumented.
Addressing concerns over immigration, Trabelsi stated that Libya “will not bear the burden of illegal immigration alone and will not become a settlement zone.”
AFP
