A total of 170 Bangladeshi nationals have been repatriated from Libya with support from the Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), according to the embassy.

The returnees were scheduled to arrive in Dhaka at 5:00am on May 25 aboard Buraq Air flight UZ222, the embassy said.

Among them, 62 were repatriated from Tripoli and 108 from Benghazi. Embassy officials said many of the migrants had been living in risky conditions in Libya, while 16 were suffering from illnesses.

The group from Tripoli included 37 Bangladeshis who had been released from the custody of Libyan law enforcement agencies on April 20 following efforts by the embassy.

Bangladesh Ambassador to Libya Major General Md. Habib Ullah met the returnees at the embassy premises on May 23. The embassy’s Counsellor (Labour) and First Secretary (Labour) were also present during the meeting.

According to the embassy, the ambassador warned the migrants about the risks of irregular migration and called for legal action against human traffickers and brokers. He also urged the returnees to help raise awareness about the dangers of irregular migration after returning home.

The embassy said efforts are continuing to repatriate Bangladeshi nationals detained at different detention centres in Libya.

As part of those efforts, another 175 Bangladeshi nationals are expected to be repatriated from the Tajura Detention Centre in Tripoli on May 31, the embassy said.