Monday March 20, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - Eleven Somali migrants being held in Libya prisons have been returned to the country's capital, Mogadishu, as reported on Monday.
Senior Somali government officials, including the Special Envoy for Children's and Migrants Rights, Ambassador Maryan Yassin Haggi Yusuf, welcomed the returnees at Aden Adde International Airport.
The Somali government managed to secure the release of these young people from prisons where they had been subjected to torture and suffering at the hands of human traffickers in Libya. The envoy emphasized the significant role played by the Somali embassy in Tripoli in repatriating the young people.
Upon their return to Somalia, the returnees expressed their happiness and gratitude, thanking everyone who had contributed to their repatriation.
Hundreds of young Somalis are detained yearly for attempting to enter Europe illegally. Libya is one of the most dangerous places for Somalis, who are taken for ransom, sometimes paying thousands of dollars. In recent years, however, migration to Libya has been decreasing.
In December 2022, at least 97 Somali migrants who were being held in detention camps in Libya were returned to Mogadishu. The Somali government, in coordination with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), secured the release of its 97 nationals, including five women, according to local media reports.