145 Bangladeshis repatriated from Libya

The government repatriated 398 Bangladeshi irregular migrants from Libya in past nine days with the latest group of 145 migrants reaching the country today.

The 145 Bangladeshis reached the country in a chartered flight of Buraq Air that landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka this morning, the foreign ministry said in a press release.

The irregular migrants were at a detention centre in the North African country and their repatriation was possible following efforts from the Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli and support from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the release says.

On November 28, a group of 143 Bangladeshis were repatriated in a Buraq Air chartered flight while another group of 110 Bangladeshis returned home following the same process on November 30, the release adds.

Today, after the arrival of the 145 Bangladeshis, officials from the foreign ministry and IOM Bangladesh greeted them at the airport.

Besides, IOM provided Tk 6,500 each to the migrants as "pocket money" and some foods.

The release says more such Bangladeshi migrants will be repatriated from Libya soon as efforts in this regard have been underway.