Libya Deports 177 Nigerians, Mostly Women and Children

Libyan authorities have deported 177 Nigerian migrants, mostly women and children, as part of a voluntary repatriation exercise. The country’s Illegal Migration Control Department confirmed the deportation took place on Tuesday via a flight from Tripoli’s Mitiga International Airport.

According to deportation officer Mohamed Bred’a, the group included nine children and eight infants. He noted that more repatriation flights are planned in the coming days as part of the department’s humanitarian initiative to reduce illegal migration.

Libya remains a major transit hub for migrants attempting to reach Europe through the Mediterranean. The country has faced instability since the 2011 fall of Muammar Gaddafi, making it a hotspot for migrant trafficking.

Meanwhile, Libya’s Interior Minister, Emad al-Tarabelsi, has called on the European Union and other destination countries to support efforts to curb illegal migration. He emphasized the need to secure Libya’s southern borders and invest in development projects in migrants’ countries of origin to address the root causes of migration.