33 Kurdish Youth Rescued From Libya and Returned Safely to Kurdistan Region
By order of Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, the KRG's repatriation total from Libya now reaches 335, as IOM data shows migration from Iraq has fallen 37 to 53 percent in eight months while smuggling networks continue preying on Kurdish youth
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Thirty-three Kurdish youth detained in Libya have been rescued and returned safely to the Kurdistan Region on Monday by order of Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, with the KRG's Foreign Relations Department coordinating the operation in partnership with the Iraqi Embassy in Tripoli. With Monday's return, the total number of people rescued from Libya and repatriated to the Kurdistan Region has now reached 335.
The KRG's Foreign Relations Department, working in coordination with the Iraqi Embassy in Libya, identified the location of the detainees and completed the release procedures before arranging their return to Erbil. Some of those rescued had been held in Libyan detention facilities for more than one month, facing life-threatening conditions during their captivity. Upon their arrival at Erbil International Airport on Monday, medical teams conducted the necessary health checks before the returnees were reunited with their families.
As Kurdistan 24 previously reported, the Libya-Italy route has become increasingly popular among youth from the Kurdistan Region, particularly from the Raparin area, as tighter restrictions have made the Turkey-Greece crossing less viable. Libya, a major transit hub for migrants attempting to reach Europe, has seen a growing number of Kurdistani young people attempting the dangerous journey, with smuggling networks operating within the Kurdistan Region itself funneling desperate youth into what has been described as the Libyan labyrinth.
Earlier repatriation operations documented the horrific conditions facing Kurdistani detainees in Libya's informal detention network. Numerous reports revealed that detainees are subjected to extortion, beatings, and forced labor, with many only released after their families pay large ransoms. In January 2026, at least 147 Kurdish migrants from the Raparin Independent Administration were reported stranded in Libya for nearly half a year, with families alleging that a smuggler from the Raparin area had detained the group and was demanding ransoms of $3,500 per person for their release, as Kurdistan 24 previously confirmed.
The KRG has conducted a sustained repatriation campaign throughout 2025 and 2026. In October 2025, 40 Kurdish migrants were repatriated from Libya, followed by 25 more in November 2025. In January 2026, a charter flight returned 151 migrants. By May 2026, Iraq's ambassador to Libya Ahmed Sahaf announced that Baghdad had repatriated 350 migrants from Iraq and the Kurdistan Region over two and a half years and that no undocumented Iraqi migrants were confirmed to remain in Libyan territory at that time, as Kurdistan 24 confirmed. Monday's repatriation of 33 more individuals signals that the flow of young Kurdistani migrants into Libya has not fully stopped despite the KRG's sustained rescue efforts and the Iraqi Embassy's awareness campaigns warning against human smuggling networks.
The KRG's Media and Information Office separately announced on Monday that according to a report by the International Organization for Migration, the rate of migration from Iraq has fallen by 37 to 53 percent over the past eight months, a significant reduction that reflects the impact of the KRG's employment mandate, micro-loan programs, and job creation initiatives. However, the continued need for Libya repatriation operations underlines that pockets of high emigration pressure persist, particularly in smaller cities and districts where economic alternatives remain limited.
The KRG's commitment to rescuing its citizens from Libya's dangerous detention network reflects a broader policy position under Prime Minister Masrour Barzani that no Kurdistani citizen stranded abroad should be left without government assistance. Each repatriation operation has been conducted at KRG expense, with government-funded travel arrangements, medical reception teams at Erbil airport, and coordination across multiple diplomatic channels to secure the release of detainees held by smugglers and Libyan security forces alike.