Libyan authorities deported more than 150 Nigerian women and children on Tuesday through a United Nations-backed voluntary return programme, according to officials and the UN migration agency.
The deportation operation is part of an ongoing effort to manage the country’s overwhelming migrant population, with Libya serving as a major transit point for people attempting perilous journeys across the Mediterranean towards Europe.
Mohamad Baredaa, a spokesperson for Libya’s Directorate for Combating Illegal Migration (DCIM), told AFP that the group was made up entirely of Nigerian women travelling with children. He confirmed the deportees were flown out of Tripoli’s Mitiga International Airport under the supervision of Libyan migration officials.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), which is affiliated with the UN and coordinates the repatriation flights, said the total number deported included 160 women and 17 children.
Deportees await flights at Tripoli Detention Centre
Images from the Tripoli detention centre showed the women and children dressed mostly in black tracksuits, gathered in a waiting room ahead of their departure. They were later transported by bus to Mitiga Airport, where they boarded flights back to Nigeria.
Baredaa noted that this was the first in a series of repatriation flights scheduled for this week. Additional groups of migrants from Bangladesh, Gambia, and Mali are expected to be flown out from both Mitiga and Benghazi airports in the coming days.
Libya’s migration crisis continues
Libya has long been a focal point for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and other regions, many of whom hope to reach Europe despite the risks of crossing the Mediterranean Sea. Years of political instability and conflict following the 2011 NATO-backed overthrow of former leader Moamer Kadhafi have fuelled the rise of human trafficking networks, leaving migrants vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
According to the IOM, there are more than 700,000 migrants currently in Libya. However, Libyan authorities argue the figure is much higher. Interior Minister Imad Trabelsi, representing Libya’s UN-recognised government based in Tripoli, recently suggested that the number of migrants in the country could exceed four million. He acknowledged, however, that many migrants are undocumented, making an accurate count difficult.
Libya rejects permanent settlement role
In a statement made earlier this week, Trabelsi emphasised that Libya cannot handle the migrant crisis alone. ‘Libya will not bear the burden of illegal immigration alone and will not become a settlement zone,’ he said, pushing back against suggestions that the country should host large numbers of migrants indefinitely.
The IOM’s voluntary return programme offers migrants a chance to return to their home countries safely, providing logistical support and, in some cases, reintegration assistance. However, critics argue that voluntary returns often occur under pressure from difficult living conditions in Libya’s detention centres.
This latest round of deportations highlights the growing challenges Libya faces in managing migration flows, while international organisations continue to call for humane treatment and long-term solutions for vulnerable migrants.
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