Libyan authorities have repatriated 80 Nigerian migrants who were detained in different centres across the country, as part of efforts to reduce irregular migration and ease congestion in detention facilities.
The deportation exercise was jointly organised by the Department for Combating Illegal Migration (DCIM) and the Nigerian Consulate in Tripoli, and carried out via Mitiga International Airport on Wednesday.
According to Migrant Rescue Watch, an organisation that monitors migrant welfare and human rights in Libya, the operation was executed based on judicial orders issued by the Libyan Judicial Police.
In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, the organisation said, “Judicial Police Dept. on orders of Public Prosecutor’s Office transferred a group of undocumented migrant females of Nigerian nationality to DCIM custody in Tripoli. All females were served with judicial deportation order and are awaiting deportation.”
It added that the latest batch of returnees included migrants previously transferred under judicial orders.
“#Libya 11.11.25 – DCIM with Nigerian consular support, repatriated 80 migrants of Nigerian nationality via Mitiga Int. Airport in Tripoli. The group includes migrants transferred by the Judicial Police who were served with judicial deportation order,” the statement read.
The development comes amid renewed efforts by Libyan authorities, in partnership with diplomatic missions, to regulate the presence of undocumented migrants and address concerns over overcrowding and human rights conditions in detention facilities.
