IOM Libya to repatriate 10,000 migrants in 2017

TMP – 14/04/2017

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is aiming to return up to 10,000 migrants, mostly from Africa, who are stranded in Libya by the end of this year.

In 2016, IOM helped 2,775 migrants return home. With new European funding being provided, this number is expected to increase to between 7,000 and 10,000 in 2017.

The IOM scheme helps migrants stuck in Libya without money, work or the means to move on to voluntarily return to their home countries.

Once they are back home, IOM supports reintegration programmes.

IOM says it has received a higher rate of requests since late 2016 due to the worsening conditions in Libya. This year, 1,795 migrants have already been sent back to their home countries and another 5,000 stranded migrants are seeking assistance to return home. Most returnees have no documents are have been held in detention centres for long periods of time.

Most of the migrants in Libya who are returned to their countries of origin come from west Africa, with Nigeria, Senegal and Mali topping the list. There have also been returns to east Africa and Bangladesh.