Iraq repatriates 12 citizens from Libya after failed bid to reach Europe

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s acting ambassador to Libya said Saturday that 12 Iraqi citizens who tried to use Libya as a route for irregular migration to Europe have been voluntarily returned to Baghdad.

In a statement, the Iraqi Embassy in Tripoli said: “In line with its priority of voluntary return, the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Tripoli succeeded, after extensive efforts, in returning 12 Iraqi migrants who had entered Libya for the purpose of irregular migration and onward travel to Europe.”

It said the repatriation “was completed after high-level coordination with the relevant authorities in the Government of National Unity in Tripoli and Misrata.”

The latest return follows several recent cases involving Iraqi and Kurdish migrants detained in North Africa. On Oct. 26, 40 people from the Raparin administration in Sulaymaniyah returned after more than two months in Libyan detention, describing poor food, medical neglect and harsh conditions. One told 964media, “It was truly a disaster. Our living conditions there were terrible.”

Among those held in Libya were 41 individuals from the Kurdistan Region, including Hogir Aso Khidr, who died of a stroke on Oct. 16. Another 16 Kurdish migrants were released earlier this month after two months in detention in Tunisia.

Libya and Tunisia remain key transit points for migrants seeking to reach Europe across the central Mediterranean, even as tighter enforcement and joint operations with European states have led to more arrests, detention and forced or voluntary returns. Many Iraqis and Kurds also continue to attempt irregular journeys via Turkey or boat crossings toward Italy and Malta.

The embassy said it will continue to coordinate with Libyan authorities to arrange voluntary returns for Iraqis who wish to go home.