Baghdad relaunches voluntary return flights for Iraqis from Libya
Shafaq News– Tripoli
Iraq has resumed voluntary repatriation flights for its nationals in Libya, restarting air operations on January 23 after weather and technical delays.
On X, Ahmed Al-Sahhaf, acting chargé d’affaires at the Iraqi Embassy in Libya, said on Thursday that 197 Iraqis are registered for return, with the first flight scheduled at dawn aboard a C-130 operated by the Iraqi Air Force, in line with directives from caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani. The Iraqi Foreign Ministry, he noted, coordinated with relevant authorities to ensure a safe and orderly process.
بتوجيه من دولة رئيس مجلس الوزراء @mohamedshia، وبمتابعة وزارة الخارجية @Iraqimofa، استأنفنا الجهد الجوي لإعادة المهاجرين العراقيين من ليبيا ضمن العودة الطوعية.197 مواطناً بانتظار العودة، والرحلة الأولى تنطلق فجر الخميس عبر طائرة C130، لضمان عودة كريمة وآمنة إلى الوطن. https://t.co/nQQ6vutxdl
— د. أحمد الصحاف | Dr. Ahmed Al-Sahhaf (@DrAhmedAlSahhaf) January 22, 2026
Libya remains a major transit point for migrants attempting Mediterranean crossings to Europe. The International Organization for Migration reported nearly 895,000 migrants from 45 nationalities across 100 Libyan municipalities between May and July 2025, including a growing number of Iraqis. By late 2025, joint efforts by Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government had returned more than 400 Iraqis.
Read more: Libya takes center stage in Iraqi migration routes in 2025
