More than one hundred Gambians who were held up in Libyan prisons on Tuesday returned home.
These Gambians had attempted migrating to Europe under difficult conditions but were held up in Libya.
The Gambian government was supported by the International Organization of Migration (IOM) to secure their release from detention centers in Tripoli and parts of the country.
Reuters reported that in total one hundred and sixty nine of the migrants, mostly young men in their 20s, returned home.They arrived at Banjul airport in a jet.
One of the returnees told Reuters “It’s a relief to be home.”
“Libya was horrible for us. There was no peace. People hit me, they used sticks against me like I was an animal,” another returnee also told Reuters, sharing the ordeal he went through in Libya.
European governments continue to make efforts to stop the flow of migrants into Europe from Africa through the Mediterranean as many use Libya as a major route.
Source: Africafeeds.com
