Monday March 24, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia on Monday repatriated 145 of its citizens who had been detained in Libya for nearly a year, the latest in a series of coordinated efforts between the Somali government and international partners to rescue migrants stranded in North Africa’s perilous trafficking networks.
The returnees, most of them young men, arrived at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport, where they were received by Somali government officials and representatives from international humanitarian organizations. Authorities confirmed the individuals had been held in Libyan detention centers under harsh conditions, including physical abuse, lack of food, and inadequate medical treatment.
The group had been held in Libyan detention centers under harrowing conditions, where they faced torture, starvation, and medical neglect. Many had fallen into the hands of human traffickers known as Magafe, who are infamous for extorting migrants and subjecting them to violence while demanding ransom payments from their families.
“I decided to come back after witnessing several of my friends die in prison,” one returnee told reporters. “We suffered a lot, but I’m grateful to be home.”Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Issaq Mahmoud Mursal, who received the group at the airport, said the government is committed to bringing back Somali nationals caught in dangerous migration routes. “We are ready to help any citizen facing hardship abroad,” Mursal said. “And we’re increasing awareness to prevent youth from falling victim to traffickers.”
“Our government is working to bring back Somalis trapped in difficult situations due to illegal migration,” Mursal said. “We are also strengthening public awareness to prevent others from taking these dangerous routes that put their lives and resources at risk.”
Most migrants had left Somalia to escape poverty and insecurity, hoping to reach Europe through the Northern Mediterranean Route. However, Libya—riven by civil conflict since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011—has become a deadly bottleneck for migrants. The country is now a hub for human traffickers who operate with impunity and prey on migrants from the Horn of Africa.
With support from the European Union, the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the UNHCR, Somalia is ramping up efforts to address the root causes of irregular migration, including poverty and unemployment. Since late 2023, Somalia has brought back more than 800 citizens from Libya, with flights organized monthly under the EU-funded Migrant Protection, Return, and Reintegration Programme for Sub-Saharan Africa.
Returnees who arrive in Somalia under the VHR program receive immediate assistance, including medical checkups, temporary shelter, and modest financial support to restart their lives. Officials say reintegration remains challenging, but efforts are ongoing to expand job training and psychosocial services.