148 return from war-torn Libya

As many as 148 Bangladeshi migrants who were stranded in war-torn Libya returned home yesterday, according to International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Bangladesh.

A chartered flight carrying the Bangladeshis, including survivors of failed sea crossings to Europe and detainees, landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka in the morning after taking off from Libya’s Misrata Airport the previous day, said an IOM Bangladesh press release.

An IOM official in Dhaka said the chartered flight also carried five dead bodies of Bangladeshi migrants.

Upon their arrival, IOM staff in Dhaka provided the returnees with food, health screenings, psychosocial support, and cash assistance for onward travel to their homes.

IOM facilitated the return through its Voluntary Humanitarian Return programme.

Eight of the returning Bangladeshis were physically ill and were provided healthcare support before being admitted to hospital for treatment, the release added.  

Supported by the European Union Trust Fund, IOM Bangladesh will provide the migrants reintegration assistance to restore their lives in Bangladesh.

IOM Bangladesh Chief of Mission Giorgi Gigauri said, “As hostilities continue in Libya, we spare no effort in protecting and assisting the most vulnerable Bangladeshi migrants who find themselves stranded in the most precarious conditions.

“We also make sure that there is a support system available for them upon their return home to address the immediate humanitarian and long-term reintegration needs.”

According to the IOM Bangladesh release, over 1,400 Bangladeshi migrants have returned through the VHR programme since 2015.