Somalia brings home 145 citizens from Libyan detention centers. They survived torture, starvation & trafficking. Now, they are finally free.
Somalia’s government has successfully repatriated 145 citizens from Libyan detention centers, underscoring growing momentum in its campaign to rescue nationals trapped in North Africa’s perilous migration corridors. The group—comprising mainly young men—arrived Monday in Mogadishu to an emotional reception by officials and humanitarian partners.
Their journey home marks not only a humanitarian win but also a stark reminder of the brutal realities many Somali migrants face abroad. Most had been detained for nearly a year in Libya under deplorable conditions. Survivors spoke of beatings, starvation, and a constant threat of death in facilities controlled by traffickers and armed groups. Many were held by the notorious Magafe human trafficking networks, which extort ransom payments from victims’ families while subjecting detainees to horrific abuse.
“I decided to come back after witnessing several of my friends die in prison,” one returnee said, visibly shaken. “We suffered a lot, but I’m grateful to be home.”
The operation is part of Somalia’s ongoing collaboration with international actors including the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UNHCR, and the European Union, all of whom support the EU-funded Migrant Protection, Return, and Reintegration Programme. Since late 2023, this joint effort has repatriated more than 800 Somalis from Libya, with monthly charter flights organized to bring home those willing and able to return.
Deputy Foreign Minister Issaq Mahmoud Mursal, who personally welcomed the group, emphasized the government’s growing commitment to citizen protection abroad. “We are ready to help any Somali facing hardship outside our borders,” he said. “And we are working harder to warn our youth about the dangerous promises of illegal migration.”
Returnees received basic support upon arrival, including medical assessments, emergency shelter, and small reintegration stipends. Authorities also pledged more comprehensive assistance in the form of vocational training and mental health services—though reintegration remains an uphill battle in a country still facing widespread unemployment and insecurity.
For many returnees, dreams of Europe quickly turned into nightmares. Libya, once a transit country, has become a trap where traffickers operate with impunity amid lawlessness and internal conflict. The country’s collapse since 2011 has turned it into a black hole for migrants, with thousands from the Horn of Africa detained in a vast network of prisons and smuggler-run compounds.
The Somali government, backed by its international partners, is now scaling up public awareness campaigns to address migration at its root. From poverty and youth joblessness to insecurity and poor infrastructure, the factors driving irregular migration are complex—but they are not insurmountable.
Each return flight offers a chance to bring back lives from the edge, and each survivor’s story is a warning.
