A group of 165 Somali migrants stranded in Libya for several months has been safely repatriated with support from the International Organization for Migration and funding from the European Union. The operation brings the total number of Somali migrants voluntarily returned from Libya through the IOM’s programme this year to more than 550, according to the UN agency.
The chartered flight landed first at Egal International Airport in Hargeisa, where 13 migrants disembarked. The aircraft then continued to Mogadishu’s Aden Abdulle International Airport, where the remaining 152 passengers were received by local authorities and humanitarian partners. Most of those on board were young men under the age of 25, including 27 unaccompanied minors who had been held in Libya for extended periods.
The IOM highlighted testimonies from several returnees describing severe exploitation and abuse at the hands of smugglers and human traffickers. Many reported being detained in inhumane conditions, deprived of basic needs, and subjected to forced labour as they attempted to reach Europe through irregular migration routes.
All those repatriated were assisted through the IOM’s Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) programme, which facilitates safe and dignified returns for migrants stranded in transit countries. The programme, funded by the European Union, also provides medical screening, counselling, and reintegration support to help returnees re-establish their lives in their home communities.
The organisation said the latest operation underscores the ongoing humanitarian challenges faced by thousands of migrants trapped in Libya’s precarious security environment. It urged continued international cooperation to expand safe pathways, reduce reliance on smuggling networks, and strengthen reintegration systems for vulnerable migrants returning home.