An Iraqi Airways aircraft is seen on the tarmac at an airport in Iraq, parked at a boarding gate during routine ground operations.
Iraq to repatriate 151 migrants from Libya in voluntary return effort
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s acting ambassador to Libya said Wednesday that procedures have been completed to repatriate 151 Iraqi migrants who entered Libya illegally, with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani approving the allocation of an aircraft to bring them home.
Ahmad al-Sahhaf told the Iraqi News Agency that the move comes “under the patronage of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein,” and with follow-up by senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He said the initiative was proposed by the Iraqi embassy in Libya after an increase in irregular migration flows through the country.
Al-Sahhaf said the embassy “completed this time the procedures to return 151 Iraqi citizens who had entered Libya illegally,” adding that approval was obtained “to allocate an air transport aircraft to return the Iraqi migrants currently present in Libya.”
He said the embassy has finalized all requirements for their voluntary return. “The Embassy of the Republic of Iraq completed all the requirements for their voluntary return to Iraq and to their families and relatives,” al-Sahhaf said, adding that the effort was carried out through embassy coordination.
Al-Sahhaf said the embassy has provided support to migrants during their stay. He said the embassy previously “provided the necessary support at the level of providing food, drink, clothing and daily essential needs,” and noted that dozens of Iraqis had been repatriated during earlier periods.
He said coordination was carried out with relevant authorities in Baghdad, including the office of the secretary to the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, as well as senior ministry officials, to prepare for the return flight. “Their number is about 151 Iraqi migrants, and the embassy has previously returned dozens of them at earlier times,” he said.
Al-Sahhaf said the effort is part of a broader approach by the Foreign Ministry. “This exceptional effort is credited to the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and comes within the framework of strengthening the path of voluntary return that the ministry is working on to save Iraqi youth from the dangers of smuggling and human trafficking networks,” he said.
Iraqi authorities have increased efforts in recent months to locate and repatriate citizens who entered Libya irregularly, a key transit point for migration toward Europe. Earlier this month, Iraq’s head of mission to Libya said the embassy completed voluntary repatriation procedures for 70 Iraqi migrants and continued work “at a high level” to determine the fate of dozens of others across the country.
In late October, 40 people from the Raparin administration in Sulaymaniyah returned to the Kurdistan Region after spending more than two months in Libyan detention, with several describing harsh conditions. Iraqi officials have repeatedly warned families about the risks of irregular migration routes, citing cases of detention, abuse and exploitation.