Over 150 Kurdish migrants to be repatriated from Libya

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Over 150 Kurdish migrants who were detained in Libya while attempting to travel from the north African country to Europe will be repatriated to the Kurdistan Region via a charter flight, an Iraqi official told Rudaw on Thursday.

The migrants, numbering 151, are being returned following the completion of repatriation procedures, said Ahmed Sahaf, chargé d'affaires of the Iraqi Embassy in Libya.

“Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani has approved the allocation of a special aircraft to return these 151 citizens,” Sahaf added.

He stated that all arrangements for their return have been finalized.

“We have completed all necessary requirements for their voluntary return to Iraq and to their families. They will be returning within the next few days,” he said, explaining that the operation is part of efforts aimed at “strengthening the voluntary return mechanism” pursued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to protect Iraqi youth from the dangers of smuggling networks and human trafficking.

According to the embassy, dozens of migrants have previously been repatriated from Libya. Officials noted that they were provided with food, clothing, and daily necessities during their stay.

Kurdish migrants faced repeated detentions in Libya and Tunisia last year, with several groups returned to the Kurdistan Region. Most of them attempt to reach European countries via the Mediterranean Sea route.

The Libya-Italy route has become increasingly popular among youth from Raparin, as tighter restrictions have made the Turkey-Greece crossing less viable. While the journey can take as little as eight hours - compared to up to 72 hours through Greece - it can cost as much as $17,000 per person, much of it paid to militias controlling Libya’s coast, according to Bakr Ali, head of the Association of Returned Refugees.

The Kurdistan Region has witnessed repeated waves of youth emigration over the past decade, driven largely by economic hardship and the search for better opportunities abroad.