NIGERIA’s Charge’d’ Affaires to Libya, Amb. Mohammed Mohammed on Wednesday announced the repatriation, by the Federal Government of 158 irregular migrants from Libya to Nigeria.
Mohammed explained, in a statement on Wednesday, that the evacuees comprised 77 males, 45 females, 26 children as well as 10 infants.
He added that of the total number, 26 males arrested from the ongoing raid of undocumented foreigners in Libya were released from Abu-Salim Detention Centre in Tripoli.
The Nigerian envoy to Libya also disclosed that so far, 1,776 stranded Nigerians have returned home.
Mohammed further explained that the repatriation was a collaborative effort between the mission and the Libyan authorities under the International Organisation for Migration’s (IOM) Voluntary Humanitarian Repatriation (VHR).
“This marks the 12th evacuation exercise carried out by the Nigerian Mission in Libya this year.
“The current exercise follows the repatriation of 142 irregular Nigerian migrants from Sabha, Libya, on July 19.
“While some of them were rescued from the Mediterranean Sea by the Libyan Coastal Guards, others were arrested on charges of prostitution, illegal entry, overstay, and lack of proper documentation while others willingly submitted themselves to the IOM in Libya for repatriation.
“Nigerians living in Libya, from many indications, already have damaged reputations due to the alleged nefarious activities of some criminal elements among them.
“Some have been fingered in the commitment of crimes such as kidnapping for ransom, drug peddling, prostitution, sale of alcohol as well as cultism and human trafficking with their Libyan collaborators, among others.
“It is, therefore, as a result of the above that arrest and deportation of Nigerians may continue in the weeks and months ahead,” he said.
He also warned Nigerians against irregular migrations, saying that there have been increasing and coordinated raids of illegal migrants across the cities of Libya.
According to him, these are likely going to continue as Libyan authorities consider the influx of illegal migrants in the country a national security issue, and have vowed to employ all legal means to stop the menace.