ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Iraqi embassy in Libya on Thursday announced the release of five Iraqi nationals detained by Libyan authorities for illegally entering the country with the aim of migrating to Europe.

Ahmed al-Sahaf, chargé d'Affaires of the Iraqi embassy in Tripoli, said that the release of the detainees came after three months, “with daily monitoring that was fraught with complexity and risks.”

“the Iraqi Embassy in Libya provided medical services and housing to the released Iraqis and granted them laissez-passer passports to enable their voluntary return to Iraq,” Sahaf told Iraqi state media, adding that dozens detained on similar charges have been released between 2024 and early 2025.

“The embassy had warned young migrants of the need to exercise extreme caution and vigilance to preserve their safety and security, and to prevent them from being deceived by networks that threaten their safety and security,” he added.

On a yearly basis, thousands of Iraqis put their lives in the hands of shady people smuggling networks, embarking on highly hazardous journeys in search of a better life abroad.

According to data from Lutka or the Summit Foundation for Refugees and the Displaced Affairs, more than 750,000 Iraqis have migrated out of the country since 2015.