On Wednesday, the Nigerian diplomatic mission in Libya stated that it had secured the release of 40 Nigerian migrants from the Bir Al-Ghanam detention center. This was announced by Kabiru Musa, the Charge D’Affaires En Titre of the Nigerian Mission in Libya.
In press statements to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ambassador Musa affirmed that the mission will continue to provide necessary assistance to the released individuals, until their safe return to Nigeria.
The migrants were sternly advised against embarking on such perilous journeys in the future, and were encouraged to spread awareness about the dangers of illegal migration within their communities back home.
“On Tuesday, June 27, 2023, in a continued effort to provide consular assistance to Nigerians in Libya, we secured the release of forty irregular migrants. These individuals, arrested for immigration offences, had been detained by the Libyan immigration authorities for close to two months,” he noted
The detainees included 34 women and six men, nearly 150 miles away from Tripoli. Investigations revealed that a majority of them were duped into travelling to Libya with promises of better prospects, but were eventually subjected to exploitation and forced labour.
“On their arrival at the embassy, we offered them comfort and urged them to pledge not to venture on such life-threatening journeys in the future. I also motivated them to aid our efforts by sharing any available information about their traffickers, both in Nigeria and Libya,” Musa added.
“In the meantime, the Nigerian mission will address their immediate needs, including food, accommodation, clothing, and medical aid until they are repatriated through the efforts of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM),” Musa assured.
The NAN noted that the Federal Government of Nigeria, recognizing Libya’s role as a transit country for human trafficking, is actively collaborating with the IOM and Libyan authorities to curtail illegal migration.
