The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced on Saturday the return of 97 migrants from Libya, marking the latest success in its ongoing campaign to repatriate Kurdish youths stranded abroad after attempting to reach Europe through illegal routes.

The group arrived at Erbil International Airport earlier in the day. According to Sarwa Rasul, Director General of the Crisis Coordination Center at the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Interior, all of the returnees are residents of the Raparin Administration. Procedures are now underway to formally hand them over to their families.

This arrival follows the repatriation of another 100 youths on Friday, highlighting the intensity of the rescue operations. Those returned earlier had been detained in Libya and endured severe humanitarian conditions while attempting the perilous journey to Europe.

Ms. Rasul stated that the latest returnees were part of the fifth convoy brought back via Erbil airport, with the majority also hailing from the Raparin area. The operation was the result of coordinated efforts by a high-level committee involving the Ministry of Interior’s Crisis Coordination Center, the KRG’s Department of Foreign Relations, and the Iraqi embassy in Libya. A delegation from the Department of Foreign Relations traveled specifically to Libya to facilitate the process.

In a separate statement, the Ministry of Interior detailed the harsh realities faced by the migrants, noting some had been held in Libyan detention centers for up to eight months under constant threat to their lives. The ministry issued a stern warning to youths and their families about the extreme dangers of illegal migration, emphasizing that such journeys risk lives, involve legal violations abroad, and carry severe consequences.

To date, the KRG reports it has successfully rescued and repatriated 202 irregular migrants from various circumstances.