Another 170 Bangladeshis detained on their way to Europe illegally return from Libya

POBNEWS24, Dhaka May 25, 2026: 170 Bangladeshis detained on their way to Europe illegally by sea have been repatriated from Libya.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave information about their return to the country on a Buraq Air flight around 8:30 am on Monday.
The press release of the ministry said that the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, with the cooperation of the Libyan government and the International Organization for Migration, returned them from Benghazi, Libya.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that most of them had entered Libya with the instigation and cooperation of human traffickers to go to Europe by sea.
“Many of them were allegedly kidnapped and tortured in Libya at different times.”
Officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including the relevant ministries and the International Organization for Migration, welcomed the repatriated Bangladeshis at the airport.
The press release said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested them to share their harrowing experience with everyone to raise public awareness.
At least 893 Bangladeshis detained in Libya have returned home this year. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that efforts to return the others detained will continue.
According to IOM data, 6,811 people who set foot in Europe by sea until mid-May were detained in Libya. During this period, 822 people went missing or died. Of these, specific information about Bangladeshis was not available.
In 2025, 27,116 people were detained on their way to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea. During that period, the IOM reported that 1,699 people went missing or died.