A group of 175 Bangladeshi migrants departed from Benghazi to their home country as part of a voluntary return initiative supported by the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, in coordination with Libyan authorities and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The returnees arrived in Dhaka on the morning of February 26th aboard Buraq Air flight UZ222.
The group included 30 individuals who had been held at the Ganfouda detention center in Benghazi, while another 145 migrants opted for voluntary repatriation from Benghazi and surrounding areas after enduring difficult living conditions; this latter group included 10 individuals with pressing medical needs. Major General Abul Hasnat Mohammad Khairul Bashar (Habibullah), the Bangladeshi Ambassador to Libya, oversaw the departure and addressed the migrants, highlighting the grave humanitarian and personal risks associated with illegal migration. He urged citizens to avoid such paths in the future and to verify employment contracts, salaries, and benefits through legal channels before traveling to Libya for work.
Voluntary Repatriation of Bangladeshi Migrants from Libya
The embassy further stated that it is maintaining its efforts to repatriate Bangladeshi nationals held in various detention facilities, including the Tajoura center. Currently, the diplomatic mission is working with the Libyan government and international organizations to verify identities and issue the necessary travel documents, ensuring that detainees can be sent back to Bangladesh as soon as official approvals and logistical support from the IOM are secured.
