Shafaq News – Baghdad / Tripoli

Forty Iraqi migrants will return from Libya early next week via Erbil International Airport, Iraq’s Embassy in Tripoli announced Thursday.

Chargé d’affaires Ahmed al-Sahaf told Shafaq News the repatriation is set for Saturday, October 25, following months of coordination with Libyan authorities, noting that most returnees are from the Kurdistan Region, particularly al-Sulaymaniyah’s Ranya district, after entering Libya en route to Europe.

Al-Sahaf added that an Iraqi migrant died of a heart attack at the Tajoura detention center, confirming the embassy is arranging the return of his remains.

Affirming that Libya has seen a sharp rise in irregular Iraqi migrants over the past 18 months, he asserted that 122 Iraqis have been repatriated during this period.

Libya remains a key transit point for migrants trying to reach Europe, with humanitarian organizations repeatedly warning of the severe risks, including exploitation, abuse, and deadly sea crossings.

Earlier this year, the Foreign Ministry stepped up efforts to assist Iraqis detained in Libya, many of whom were caught attempting to reach Europe through smuggling networks. Similar missions also returned Kurdish migrants from Tripoli and Misrata.

Migration experts warn that root causes—such as high unemployment, poverty, and lack of opportunity in northern Iraq—continue to push people toward dangerous migration routes.

Read more: A one-way ticket: Iraq's youth bet it all on a migration gamble