By Charles Pemu 
Libyan authorities have deported 80 Nigerian migrants who were being held in various detention centers across the country, as part of an ongoing effort to curb irregular migration and relieve overcrowding in holding facilities.
The repatriation exercise was coordinated on Wednesday by the Department for Combating Illegal Migration (DCIM) in collaboration with the Nigerian Consulate in Tripoli, utilizing Mitiga International Airport.
According to Migrant Rescue Watch, a group that monitors migrant welfare in Libya, the deportation followed direct judicial directives issued by the Libyan Judicial Police regarding undocumented migrants.
The organization confirmed that the latest batch of returnees included migrants, primarily females, who had been transferred under judicial orders and served with official deportation notices for illegal stay.
In a statement released on social media, Migrant Rescue Watch noted: “DCIM with Nigerian consular support, repatriated 80 migrants of Nigerian nationality via Mitiga Int. Airport in Tripoli. The group includes migrants transferred by the Judicial Police who were served with judicial deportation order.”
This development comes amid renewed efforts by the Libyan government, in partnership with diplomatic missions, to regulate the presence of undocumented migrants and address international concerns over the conditions and human rights standards within its detention facilities.