On Saturday, 17 Indian youths who were stranded in Libya for the last six months were released from their jail in Tripoli, according to “New Indian Express” newspaper.
Indian MP, Vikramjit Singh Sahney said that “they were cheated by some unscrupulous travel agents on the pretext of sending them to Italy for lucrative jobs. All of them left India for Italy in February 2023, and kept in Libya’s Zuwara, where they were being deprived of basic amenities like food and water, and causing physical assault.”
Sahney stated that when he learnt of their detention in May, he got in touch with the Indian Embassy in Tunisia, and initiated the legal process for rescuing the youths.
“My office was in constant touch with these boys and their families. Initially, our major concern was to take them out from the captivity of the local mafia,” he said.
Sahney further said that “they were detained in an under-construction building by an armed group from where the police took their custody. On 13 June, with the help of Libyan police, we made these boys run and accommodated them in a hotel at Zuwara. My office was in touch with these youths throughout the night, till this rescue operation got over in the early morning. Later, they were kept at a detention centre on 15 June, and we initiated the legal process to get their consular access,’’ he said.
The MP said that Libyan authorities released them from jail, and kept them in Tripoli until their arrangements for Emergency travel documents were issued, to ensure their smooth, safe repatriation to India.
In March, Indian authorities announced the repatriation of 12 workers who were stranded in Libya.
In a statement, the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) said that this came thanks to joint efforts between the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, and the Indian Embassy in Tunisia. The workers were illegally taken to Libya from Punjab Province, by an agent who “promised them lucrative jobs, a good salary, and a happy life.”
