ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A group of 40 Kurds from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, who had been stranded in Libya while attempting to reach Europe, are now on their way home, an Iraqi diplomat confirmed on Saturday. Efforts are also underway to repatriate an additional 35 citizens.

The repatriation was announced by Ahmed al-Sahaf, the chargé d'affaires at Iraq’s diplomatic mission in Tripoli. "The plane carrying 40 Iraqi migrants has taken off, heading to Istanbul and then to Erbil," Sahaf told Rudaw.

He highlighted the "exceptional efforts" made by the embassy to coordinate the return and stated that preparations are ongoing to bring back another group of 35 migrants. Since late December 2023, a total of 122 Kurds have now been returned from the North African country with the mission's assistance.

Sahaf expressed gratitude to the Libyan Government of National Unity for its cooperation. "We provided food, medicine, and care, and arranged travel tickets in cooperation with the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq," he said.

The official also issued a stern warning, pledging that the mission would "continue our awareness campaigns regarding the dangers of human trafficking and smuggling networks that prey on our citizens." This warning comes as the Iraqi mission located another 23 Kurds in Libya earlier this week, who had also arrived there en route to Europe.

The Kurdistan Region has experienced repeated waves of youth migration over the past decade, primarily driven by economic hardship and the search for better opportunities abroad.

In recent times, the migration route from Libya to Italy has grown in popularity among young people, particularly from Sulaimani’s Raparin administration. This shift is partly due to tighter restrictions making the traditional Turkey-Greece crossing less viable.