Another group of 122 Nigerians stranded in Libya have been safely evacuated, marking the ninth such operation conducted by the Nigerian Mission in Libya this year.
The evacuees, comprising 52 males, 39 females (including seven rescued human trafficking victims), 21 children, and 10 infants, will depart Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli at approximately 1:30 pm local time and are expected to arrive at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos by 5:00 pm.
This evacuation was conducted in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as part of their Voluntary Humanitarian Repatriation (VHR) program. It brings the total number of stranded Nigerians assisted in returning home from Libya in 2024 to 1,350. In comparison, the IOM helped 2,041 stranded Nigerians return home in 2023.
Speaking during the evacuation process, Nigeria’s newly appointed Charge d’Affaires en-titre to Libya, Mohammed Mohammed, urged Nigerians to reconsider irregular migration to foreign countries. He highlighted the dangers associated with such journeys, emphasizing that many end in slavery and sexual exploitation in Europe.
Mr. Mohammed acknowledged that legal migration options exist, but he advised Nigerians to carefully plan their journeys and avoid the perilous risks of unauthorized desert crossings.