Another batch of 465 libya returnees have arrived the country as part of the Federal Government’s evacuation program for Nigerians stranded in Libya.
They arrived at the Port Harcourt International Airport at about 12:25 am on Friday February 2, on board Max Air.
The returnees were received by officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), alongside other relevant agencies.
Over the last couple of months, several Nigerians have been repatriated in batches especially after news of slave trading and brutal treatment of Africans attempting to cross over to Europe, sparked global outrage.
According to reports, the migrants who attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea to the European shores are placed in detention centers across Tripoli, leaving most of them with the option of returning to their home countries.
About 600,000 migrants have reached Italy by sea from North Africa since 2014 while more than 12,000 have died in the process.
While many prominent Nigerians lent their voices to bringing an end to the situation, the government also said it will do all it can to ensure all Nigerians trapped in Libya are brought back home.
In November, the National Assembly pushed for talks between the Nigerian government and its Libyan counterpart.
In its resolution, the Senate urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to invite the Libyan Ambassador to Nigeria and discuss how to end the slave trade in the country, which had drawn widespread condemnation.
While the President described the situation as appalling and unacceptable, he also addressed the issue of illegal migration on the part of the citizens.
He urged illegal migrants to stay back home, work hard and find ways to improve their personal economies rather than putting their lives at risk by daring the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea.More batches of returnees are, however, expected to make the evacuation window as the Government looks to meet the over 5,300 target of Nigerian returnees.
Source: Channelstv
