The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency, on Tuesday received 180 Nigerian migrants, including women and children, who were repatriated from Libya as part of ongoing voluntary return operations.
The returnees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at about 8:15 p.m. aboard a chartered Buraq Airline flight, which landed at the Pilgrims and Cargo Terminal.
The migrants, largely women and children, were brought back from different locations in Libya, with many of them previously held in detention facilities in Benghazi before their evacuation.
Speaking with journalists at the airport, IOM Sub-Head in Lagos, Ali Ali Ibrahim, said the returnees endured difficult migration journeys in search of better opportunities abroad.
He said many of them ended up facing hardship, uncertainty, and, in some cases, exploitation along migration routes across North Africa.
“Tonight, we welcome home 180 Nigerian migrants from Libya after difficult journeys along migration routes. Many left in search of opportunity, but instead faced hardship, uncertainty and, for some, exploitation,” Ibrahim said.
He added that while their return marked relief for the migrants, it represented only the beginning of a longer recovery process aimed at reintegration into society.
According to him, the exercise was carried out in collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria, with support from the European Union, to ensure safe and dignified return.
He disclosed that the returnees comprised 108 adult females and 45 adult males, bringing the total number of adults to 153.
He further stated that the flight also carried 17 children, made up of seven females and 10 males, as well as 12 infants, including eight females and four males.
“In total, there were 123 females and 59 males, making 182 returnees on the flight,” he said, noting that two of the migrants were unaccompanied children who travelled without parents or guardians.
Ibrahim explained that upon arrival, the returnees underwent reception procedures, including health screening and counselling to support their immediate wellbeing.
He added that those eligible would also benefit from reintegration assistance such as skills acquisition, small business support, and psychosocial care to help them rebuild their lives.
He further noted that over the past decade, more than 65,700 Nigerians had returned safely under similar programmes, while about 52,200 had received reintegration support.
“What matters most is that with the right support and strong partnership, return can become a real opportunity to recover, rebuild and move forward with dignity,” he said.
, a United Nations agency, on Tuesday received 180 Nigerian migrants, including){kind=link}