172 Bangladeshis Return Home from Libya
A total of 172 undocumented Bangladeshi workers who had been stranded in Libya after falling victim to human trafficking have returned home voluntarily.
The repatriation was carried out with the assistance of the Libyan government and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), through the joint efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya and the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday that 172 undocumented Bangladeshi nationals had been brought back from Misrata, Libya, on a Buraq Air flight.
Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other concerned ministries and the IOM welcomed the returnees at the airport.
Most of the repatriated Bangladeshis had reportedly entered Libya illegally after being lured and assisted by human traffickers who promised to help them reach Europe by sea. Many of them were allegedly subjected to abduction and torture at different times during their stay in Libya.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged the returnees to share their harrowing experiences with others to raise public awareness about the dangers of human trafficking and irregular migration.
The IOM provided each returnee with transportation expenses, food supplies, basic medical care and temporary accommodation, if needed.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment and the IOM are continuing their joint efforts to ensure the safe repatriation of Bangladeshi nationals held in various detention centres across Libya.
