(Wargeyska.net/Somalia)One hundred and forty-seven Somali nationals mostly youngsters have been repatriated back home from Libya, the youngsters said were stranded in Libyan prisons and in the hands of human traffickers.
In collaboration with the European Union, International Organisation of Migration, Somalia’s federal government foreign affairs and international cooperation offered Somali national stranded in Libya a safe, humane and dignified access back to their home country.
A flight carrying the 147 youngsters landed in Hargeisa town, capital city of Somaliland administration disembarking 31 migrants and landed in Mogadishu, capital city of Somalia with the remaining 116 migrants. Officials of Somalia’s federal government foreign affairs and international cooperation, the European Union and International Organisation of Migration welcomed the migrants in Aden Adde International Airport today 18 December 2024.
This is the third such Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) flight in two months, under the Migrant Protection, Return and Reintegration Programme for Sub-Saharan Africa (MPRR-SSA project); as of today, a total of 844 Somali migrants have returned from Libya and supported for their reintegration in Somalia, through this project.
“The Federal Government of Somalia, with the invaluable support of the European Union and IOM, is ensuring that our citizens can return home with dignity and receive the support they need to rebuild their lives. This initiative reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting the rights and well-being of all Somali in need of return support,” said Ahmed Fiqi, Somali Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
“I am genuinely moved and happy to see more Somali migrants safely returning home after being trapped in Libya in precarious and often life-threatening conditions. These Voluntary Humanitarian Return flights underscore the strength of our collaboration and our shared dedication to providing the safety and dignity of Somali migrants,” said Karin Johansson, the EU Ambassador to Somalia.
According to IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix, there are more than 1,300 Somali migrants stranded in Libya. Insecurity and the lack of essentials such as food, shelter and healthcare in Libya expose migrants to many protection risks. Thousands urgently require protection and humanitarian assistance.
Under Somalia’s MPRR-SSA project, funded by the European Union and managed by IOM, the organization assists Somali migrants in returning home. Upon return, the migrants are supported with small cash grants to address immediate needs, temporary accommodation, medical assistance (including mental health and psychosocial support) and onward transportation for those reuniting with families outside of the capital, later complemented with direct financial support to facilitate their reintegration into local communities.
Source: SONNA
