The International Organisation for Migration, working with Nigerian authorities, has received another batch of 180 Nigerian migrants evacuated from Libya, as efforts to address irregular migration and support vulnerable returnees continue. According to Channels Television, the group was made up mainly of women and children who had set out in search of a better life abroad before becoming stranded along the perilous route through Libya.
The returnees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos aboard a chartered flight from Libya, where they were received by officials of the IOM and the National Emergency Management Agency. The arrival is the latest in a series of organised flights bringing home Nigerians who found themselves trapped in transit countries while trying to reach Europe and other destinations.
According to the IOM, many of those on board had endured deeply difficult conditions during their time away, including detention, exploitation and prolonged uncertainty as they attempted to migrate abroad. More than 50 of the returnees were said to have come directly from detention centres in Libya, where stranded migrants are frequently held in harsh circumstances.
The group reflected the human face of the migration crisis, with women, young children, infants and even unaccompanied minors among those who made the journey back. Their return underscores how irregular migration draws in entire families and exposes the most vulnerable to danger, far from the support networks they would normally rely on at home.
The migrants returned voluntarily under the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration programme, an initiative supported by the European Union that helps stranded migrants make their way home safely. The scheme is designed not only to bring people back, but also to give them a foundation to restart their lives once they are on Nigerian soil.
On arrival, the returnees were provided with health screening, counselling and other immediate assistance to help them recover from their ordeal. The agency added that eligible beneficiaries would also receive reintegration support, intended to help them rebuild their lives, regain stability and reconnect with their communities after months or years away.
The IOM described the operation as part of an ongoing collaboration between the agency, the federal government and international partners aimed at facilitating voluntary returns and promoting safer migration pathways. Officials say such efforts are meant to discourage dangerous irregular journeys while offering dignity and practical help to those who choose to come home.