Iraq launches first flight to repatriate migrants from Libya

BAGHDAD — Iraq will begin the first flights to repatriate Iraqi migrants from Libya on Friday, with an initial group of 100 people returning home aboard a military aircraft, the acting head of Iraq’s diplomatic mission in Libya said.

Ahmad al-Sahhaf said the first flight is scheduled to arrive early Friday, Jan. 23, carrying 100 migrants. “The first flight will arrive at dawn on 23/1, carrying 100 migrants,” he told the Iraqi News Agency, adding that “the remaining number will be returned the following day.”

Al-Sahhaf said a total of 197 Iraqi migrants are awaiting voluntary return to their families. He said the first flight will be operated by an Iraqi Air Force C-130 aircraft, departing Libya “in implementation of the directives of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.”

He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinated “a high-level national effort with the relevant authorities” to carry out the voluntary return operation, stressing that the measures were taken “to ensure the migrants’ security and safety.”

The flights follow recent approvals by the prime minister to allocate military aircraft for the repatriation of Iraqi migrants who entered Libya illegally and fell victim to smuggling and human trafficking networks. Earlier this month, al-Sahhaf said Iraq had completed procedures to return 151 migrants, while additional approvals were later granted to repatriate 173 others using C-130 aircraft on flights scheduled for Jan. 21 and 22.

Iraqi authorities have stepped up efforts in recent months to locate and return citizens stranded in Libya, a major transit point for irregular migration toward Europe. Officials say the embassy in Tripoli has provided food, medical assistance and basic supplies to detained migrants and has previously facilitated the return of dozens of Iraqis, including groups from the Kurdistan Region, as part of a broader effort to promote voluntary return and warn against the risks of irregular migration routes.