More stranded Nigerians return from Libya

A new group of 157 Nigerian migrants who were stranded in Libya have voluntarily returned home.

The returnees, who traveled to Libya through irregular means, arrived in Nigeria early morning on 15 June at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. The returnees arrived aboard a flight that had been chartered with the assistance of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the arrival was confirmed by the Program Manager of IOM’s Migration Management Unit in Lagos, Mr Abraham Tamrat.

According to Tamrat, this latest group of returnees brings the total number of Nigerian returnees from Libya to 514 during the month of June and 8,500 since January 2018.

According to Tamrat, the group of returnees comprised 89 men and 62 women, as well as three children, three infants and six individuals in need of medical care. He further stated that the Nigerians had returned from the Libyan cities of Janzour, Salah Adden and Tajoura.

The returnees were received by representatives of the Nigerian government, including the National Emergency Management Agency, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Nigeria Police Force and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

Worried by the rate of irregular migration from Nigeria, the Federal Government earlier this year set up a 15-man committee to address the issue of irregular migration and human trafficking in the country. The Guardian reports that the committee is expected to provide possible solutions for how to address irregular migration.

TMP –  06/07/2018

Photo Source: guardian.ng. Nigerian returnees at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.