Iraq Completes Repatriation Procedures for 151 Citizens from Libya

The airport’s website

Baghdad Airport.

The acting chargé d'affaires of the Iraqi Embassy in Libya, Ahmed Al-Sahaf, confirmed on Wednesday that all procedures for the repatriation of 151 Iraqi citizens from Libya have been finalised, noting that the Prime Minister has approved the allocation of an aircraft to bring them home.

According to the Iraqi News Agency, Ahmed Al-Sahaf said the move comes amid a growing influx of illegal migrants into and through Libya. The Iraqi Embassy, he explained, has completed the necessary arrangements for the return of 151 Iraqi nationals who had entered Libya irregularly.

Al-Sahaf added that, following a proposal submitted by the embassy and an official request from the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs — specifically the Office of the Undersecretary for Bilateral and Political Relations — to the Secretary of the Commander-in-Chief, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani approved the provision of a transport aircraft to repatriate the Iraqis currently in Libya.

He noted that the embassy had fulfilled all requirements for the voluntary return of the migrants to Iraq and their families, stressing that the initiative was the result of sustained efforts and close coordination by the Iraqi Embassy. This coordination included relevant authorities in Baghdad, notably the Office of the Secretary of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, as well as undersecretaries within the ministry and other concerned institutions, in preparation for the repatriation flight.

He said the total number of Iraqi migrants involved stands at approximately 151, adding that the embassy had previously facilitated the return of dozens of others. He described the operation as an exceptional effort that reflects positively on the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noting that it forms part of broader efforts to strengthen voluntary return programmes aimed at protecting Iraqi youth from the dangers posed by human smuggling and trafficking networks.



PUKMEDIA