The Libyan Ministry of Interior’s Anti-Illegal Immigration Service announced on Tuesday the return of 323 migrants to Nigeria, after they entered the country illegally.
The agency's official, Brigadier General Mohamed Breidaa, said in a statement to Agence France-Presse, "On Tuesday, we carried out the return of 163 immigrants of Nigerian nationality from Mitiga International Airport, including 107 women, 51 men, and five children."
Baraida added, "On the same day, 160 Nigerians will be returned to their country from Benina International Airport in Benghazi in the east of the country."
The migrants, mostly young women, dressed in black tracksuits, were gathered in a waiting hall, given a snack and received transit permits before boarding buses heading to the airport.
Under an agreement signed by the leadership of western, southern and eastern Libya in 2023, the Anti-Illegal Immigration Service became responsible for managing deportation operations in a unified manner.
Libya Deportation of migrants for contracting fatal diseases, and Egypt demands a settlement with immigration gangs
In 2015, the International Organization for Migration launched the “voluntary return” program for migrants and refugees wishing to leave Libya.
In this context, 9,370 people last year received assistance from the International Organization for Migration to return voluntarily to their country of origin, after 11,200 in 2022, according to the organization’s website.
Libya, located about 300 kilometers from the Italian coast, has become a center for tens of thousands of migrants seeking to reach Europe by sea.
Many migrants are trying to reach Europe from Libyan lands, risking their lives, but thousands have been living in Libya irregularly for years and working in agriculture, construction and trade, especially around the capital.
The International Organization for Migration says that data collected by the United Nations between May and June 2023 indicates the presence of more than 700,000 migrants on Libyan territory.
South Africa during the BRICS coordinators' meeting: More countries are quietly knocking on the group's doors
South African Ambassador to the BRICS group, Anil Suklal, said that more countries are “quietly knocking on the doors of BRICS,” while showing greater interest in working with the group due to its economic and geopolitical strength.
The head of the South African delegation, Anil Suklal, explained during the BRICS coordinators’ meeting, saying: “More and more developed countries are quietly knocking on the doors of BRICS, and I think this is a positive sign because the BRICS countries are not hostile to the West, and everything we are working on does not conflict with the interests of any.” block of the world.
Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister and the Russian coordinator in BRICS, said that the foreign ministers of the group's countries will meet next June in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod.
He also stressed that expanding the group's membership will benefit all its member states and will contribute to building a more just multipolar global system .
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that about 30 countries are interested in rapprochement with BRICS, stressing that the group has a promising future .
Until the end of last year, BRICS included Russia, Brazil, China, India, and South Africa, before Egypt, Iran, the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia joined them starting in the new year.
President of the Russian Central Bank: The BRICS countries intend to focus this year on linking payment systems among themselves
The group is working to formulate a multipolar international political and economic system and break the hegemony of the West, led by the United States, while the economic aspect constitutes the backbone of the group.
Abu Dhabi at the BRICS coordinators meeting: This is a milestone for the UAE