The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), in collaboration with the Federal Government and the European Union (EU), has evacuated 180 stranded Nigerian migrants from Benghazi, Libya, bringing the total number of voluntary returnees to 65,700 since 2017.

IOM Head of Office in Lagos, Ali Ibrahim who led his team to receive the returnees said the evacuation was executed under the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme, which is heavily funded by the EU to rescue citizens stranded along irregular transit corridors.

The returnees, who arrived aboard a special charter flight at the Cargo Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos Tuesday night, comprised adult female 108, adult male 45 which brings the total for adult to 153.

There were also 17 children, 7 female, 10 male children. For infants, there were 8 female, 4 male making it 12 infants. But out of the 17 children two were unaccompanied, IOM said.

“You know it’s a dangerous migration route so many things would have happened,” he explained.

The Lagos Head of Office noted that upon arrival, the returnees are immediately processed through an integrated care system designed to facilitate their transition back into Nigerian society.

“After their return, we support them with assistance to reintegrate then to the community to rebuild their lives.

The support according to him, could mean many things including livelihood support, business assistance, assistance with education, and also other needs as they arise.

Statistical data provided by the agency revealed a sharp surge in irregular migration casualties, with 7,625 Nigerians voluntarily evacuated from northern Africa between January and June 2026 alone.

Reacting to inquiries regarding the recurrence of migration attempts by some returnees, the Ibrahim clarified that while movement remains a fundamental human right, the core objective of the AVRR intervention is to ensure that future journeys are guided by legal channels and verified documentation.

“Voluntary return means that you are a migrant, and you are in another country, and you find yourself in a stranded situation, and you make a choice to come back to your country of origin.

“Migration is a choice. What we are trying to promote is that that migration choice should be made right. We promote safe migration where we support access to the right information so that people can make the right choice.”

The IOM further indicated that the repatriation exercises have been scaled up to a weekly schedule across major entry ports, including Kano and Lagos, supplemented by daily commercial arrivals of rescued citizens at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. (The Guardian)

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