A total of 167 Bangladeshi nationals have been repatriated from Libya after falling victim to illegal migration, detention, or human trafficking.
With support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 16 individuals from Benghazi and nearby areas, along with 151 detainees from the Ganfuda Detention Center, were brought back to Bangladesh. The group arrived on a Buraq Air chartered flight early Thursday morning (April 10) around 5 am.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the information in a statement released Friday (April 11).
Officials from the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, and the IOM received the returnees at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
Most of those repatriated had entered Libya illegally via human traffickers, hoping to reach Europe by sea. Many suffered abduction and abuse during their time in the country.
Foreign ministry officials urged the public to avoid taking such perilous and unlawful migration routes. To support the returnees, the IOM provided each individual with Tk 6,000 in cash, food supplies, medical assistance, and temporary shelter if required.
Efforts to bring back more detained Bangladeshis from Libya continue through the joint work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare, the Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli, and the IOM.
