Four hundred of the more than 500 persons detained during their attempt to illegally reach Europe from Libya have been confirmed to be Bangladeshis, and 244 of them want to return home.
The number of Bangladeshis identified might increase, Bangladesh Ambassador to Libya Major General SM Shamim-Uz-Zaman told Bangla Tribune on Tuesday night.
“The 244 have expressed interest in returning to the country (Bangladesh) voluntarily… The remaining 156 did not show any interest in being repatriated,” the ambassador told the Bangla news outlet over the phone.
Under international migration law, if a person does not want to return home voluntarily, the legal process makes it difficult to send him back.
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The repatriation of the 244 detainees might begin by May 15, said the ambassador.
Libyan police detained more than 500 migrants, mostly Bangladeshis, from Misrata city while they were preparing to enter Europe in a boat.
The detainees are currently at Hamza Tariq Al Matar Detention Center in Tripoli.
There has been an increase in recent years in the number of migrant deaths due to their boats sinking in the Mediterranean while trying to illegally enter Italy.
The law enforcement agencies of Bangladesh say human traffickers are extorting large sums of money from Bangladeshis and other nationals by tempting them with a better life in Europe.