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.