174 undocumented Bangladeshis return home from Libya

A total of 174 undocumented Bangladeshi nationals have returned home from Libya through a voluntary repatriation process on Thursday morning.

The returnees arrived in Dhaka at around 5:00am on a Buraq Air flight. The repatriation was jointly facilitated by the Bangladeshi Embassy in Libya, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, in coordination with the Libyan authorities and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Officials said most of the returnees had entered Libya irregularly, allegedly influenced by human traffickers, with the aim of travelling to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea. Many of them reportedly faced kidnapping, detention, and abuse during their stay in Libya.

Representatives from the foreign ministry and IOM welcomed the returnees at the airport. As part of the reintegration support, IOM provided them with travel allowances, food assistance, basic medical care, and temporary shelter where needed.

Authorities said efforts are ongoing to ensure the safe return of Bangladeshi citizens held in various detention centres in Libya through continued cooperation between the relevant ministries, the embassy, and international partners.