170 Bangladeshis Return to Dhaka From Libya
Collected Photo
A total of 170 Bangladeshi nationals detained at Libya's Qanfoodah Detention Center in Benghazi and Tajoura Detention Center in Tripoli have returned to Dhaka.
The returnees arrived Wednesday on a special flight operated by Buraq Air.
Their repatriation was coordinated by Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya and the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, with support from the Libyan government and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
According to officials, most of the returnees had entered Libya with the help of human traffickers while attempting to reach Europe through irregular sea routes.
Many of them reported being victims of abduction, abuse and exploitation during their time in Libya.
Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other government agencies and the IOM welcomed the returnees at the airport.
The Foreign Ministry encouraged the returnees to share their experiences to help raise public awareness about the dangers of irregular migration and human trafficking.
The IOM provided each returnee with travel assistance, food supplies, primary medical care and temporary accommodation where necessary.
