174 Bangladeshis, who attempted to sail to Europe illegally, return after Libya ‘detention’

The returnees were been held in “detention centres” in Libya after becoming irregular migrants, ministry says

A group of 174 Bangladeshi nationals, who were stranded in Libya while attempting to reach Europe by sea, has returned home.

They arrived at Shahjalal International Airport on a Buraq Air flight on Thursday, the foreign ministry said.

The repatriation was coordinated by the Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, with support from the Libyan government and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The statement said the returnees had been held in “detention centres” in Libya after becoming irregular migrants.

They were brought back after expressing willingness to return home.

“Most of the repatriated Bangladeshis are known to have entered Libya irregularly with the assistance and encouragement of human traffickers in order to travel illegally to Europe by sea. Many of them were allegedly subjected to abduction and torture at different times in Libya,” it added.

Officials from the foreign ministry and related agencies, along with IOM representatives, received the returnees at the airport.

The statement also said each returnee was provided with travel assistance, food supplies, basic medical care and, where necessary, temporary shelter support from the IOM.