Ahmad al-Sahaf, the Iraqi Embassy's charge d'affaires in Libya, said they have initiated procedures regarding these migrants' documents and are providing them with humanitarian assistance and facilitating their return procedures.
"The return of these migrants will be voluntary, and free flight tickets will be provided for their return. We are coordinating with the Libyan authorities to protect these migrants and return them as soon as possible,” Sahaf added.
These migrants were attempting to migrate to European countries through Libya.
Twenty-five migrants from Sulaimani province who were rescued in Libya returned to their homes on Wednesday, nearly two months after attempting to illegally migrate to Europe.
The returnees are all from the Kurdistan Region’s Raparin administration. Their arrival follows weeks of coordination between the Kurdistan Region’s and Iraqi authorities.
Rudaw reported in July that increasing numbers of youth from Raparin have turned to the Libya-Italy route to reach Europe, as tighter restrictions have made the traditional Turkey-Greece crossing less viable.
The Libya-Italy journey typically takes around eight hours, compared to up to 72 hours through Greece, but can cost as much as $17,000 per person, much of it paid to militias that control Libya’s coast, according to Bakr Ali, head of the Association of Returned Refugees (ARR).
In August, six other Kurdish migrants were also repatriated from Libya. The Kurdistan Region has seen repeated waves of youth migration over the past decade, largely driven by economic hardship and the search for better opportunities abroad.
Hastyar Qadir contributed to this article.
