Libya Deports 80 Nigerians

Libyan authorities have deported 80 Nigerians over illegal migration as part of ongoing measures to curb irregular entry and decongest overcrowded detention centres across the country.

The repatriation exercise was coordinated by the Department for Combating Illegal Migration (DCIM) in collaboration with the Nigerian Consulate in Tripoli and carried out through the Mitiga International Airport.

According to Migrant Rescue Watch, an organisation that monitors migrant welfare and rights in Libya, the deportation followed judicial directives issued by the Libyan Judicial Police.

“The Judicial Police Dept., on orders of the 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 orders and are awaiting deportation,” the group stated on X.

It added that the latest batch of deportees included migrants who had previously been detained under judicial orders.

“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 orders,” the organisation said.

Thousands of African migrants, including Nigerians, remain stranded in Libya, many held in overcrowded centres under harsh conditions.

The North African country is one of the migration routes to Europe.