The International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed on Thursday that 175 irregular migrants were voluntarily repatriated from Benghazi, Libya, to Dhaka, Bangladesh, as part of an ongoing program to support safe returns and reintegration.
The operation was organized under the EU-funded Migrant Protection, Return, and Reintegration Program in North Africa, which assists migrants stranded in Libya by offering them safe passage home and post-return support in their countries of origin. According to IOM, the group consisted mainly of men seeking better opportunities abroad who had been unable to continue their journeys or return home without international assistance.
This flight marks part of a broader IOM effort to provide voluntary returns for thousands of migrants trapped in Libya’s complex migration landscape. Since the start of 2025, the organization has reported that at least 14,063 migrants have been intercepted at sea and returned to Libya. These include 12,170 men, 1,295 women, and 453 children.
Despite these repatriation initiatives, Libya remains the leading departure point for migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean. IOM estimates that nearly 90 percent of those arriving by boat in Italy originate from Libyan shores. The combination of porous borders, political instability, and the country’s role as a hub for smuggling networks continues to make Libya central to migration flows across the Mediterranean.
Human rights organizations have long warned that intercepted migrants face dire conditions inside Libyan detention facilities, often marked by overcrowding, lack of medical care, and exposure to abuse. Voluntary repatriation programs are seen as a safer alternative, though many migrants remain determined to attempt the dangerous sea crossing in pursuit of economic opportunity in Europe.
