Peregraf- The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has repatriated 25 Kurdish migrants detained in Libya, officials confirmed on Friday. The group arrived safely at Erbil International Airport after the government covered all return costs.
The returnees were among a growing number of Kurdish migrants who continue to risk illegal journeys through Libya in an attempt to reach Europe. Many fall victim to trafficking networks and harsh detention conditions.
On November 1, Bakr Ali, head of the Association of Returned Migrants from Europe to the Kurdistan Region, said that more than 400 Kurdish migrants have been repatriated so far this year from Libya and Tunisia. Of these, 319 were stranded in Libya and 85 in Tunisia, returned through efforts by the KRG’s Department of Foreign Relations.
Ali highlighted a recent case involving 41 Kurdish migrants stuck in Libya. While 40 were returned on October 25, one man, identified as Hogir Aso, remained behind. Aso reportedly died of a heart attack on October 16. His body was repatriated and buried in the Raperin district of Sulaymaniyah governorate on November 1, with support from both the Iraqi federal government and the KRG.
Ali warned that at least 25 Kurdish migrants remain imprisoned in Libya, while others continue to be stranded in Tunisia, Bulgaria, Armenia, and Serbia. He called on the KRG to take further action, urging authorities to repatriate the body of another Kurdish migrant who drowned off Italy’s coast last month.
Libya remains a major hub for migrants attempting to reach Europe, despite the dangers posed by human smuggling routes and instability. Both Iraqi and Kurdish authorities, in coordination with Libyan and international partners, have carried out multiple flights to bring back citizens trapped in unsafe conditions.