ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Libya has become a main route for illegal migration to Europe. Many young men from Iraq and nearby countries take this path in hopes of reaching the Italian coast. But Libyan authorities often catch and detain the would-be migrants under difficult humanitarian conditions. The Iraqi Embassy in Libya said their efforts continue to locate Iraqi nationals who remain in detention in the country.

Six Kurdish youths at risk in Libya

Six young Kurdish men are reportedly in danger in Libya after they traveled there in an attempt to migrate to Europe and were arrested.

All six men are from Ranya: five from the Chwarqurna area, and the other from the Shawre Valley.

On July 8, the young men flew from Erbil to Amman, Jordan, and then on to Benghazi, Libya. On July 21, they were arrested by Libyan authorities as they tried to travel from Benghazi to Tripoli.

They are reportedly being held in an unknown location. Their families learned about their situation after receiving voice messages via WhatsApp, describing poor conditions inside the prison.

They sent two messages over the span of one week, one for $40 and another for $25, saying they were living in harsh humanitarian conditions. They also claimed they were asked to be injected with a syringe “because they came from Iraq.”

“Our boys are in a bad situation. We are asking the authorities for help. Our families are scared and deeply worried. We cannot do anything for them,” said Suhail Mahmoud, the brother of one of the detained men, in an interview with The New Region.

Iraqi embassy efforts

The Iraqi Embassy in Tripoli said they are treating the issue of irregular migration and the voluntary return of Iraqi nationals as a top priority.

Ahmed al-Sahaf, Chargé d'affaires of the Iraqi Embassy in Libya, told The New Region on Tuesday that the embassy has focused on several goals since reopening 18 months ago, including helping Iraqi migrants.

So far, 36 Iraqi nationals have been voluntarily returned home through coordination with the Iraqi parliament’s foreign relations committee and the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Department of Foreign Relations.

“The embassy has provided health services and issued temporary travel documents so they could return home,” Sahaf said.

He added that 24 more from the Kurdistan Region  have now been identified in Libya, and steps are being taken to return them safely.

“They are in good health, and the Libyan authorities have shown more willingness to cooperate in returning Iraqi migrants,” he said.

“We are still working with Libyan officials in Tripoli to learn what happened to the missing individuals,” he said.

Sahaf urged Iraqis, especially those from the Kurdistan Region, to contact the embassy using the official phone numbers and websites to report missing family members. He asked families to provide full information so the embassy can act and coordinate with Libyan authorities.

Regarding the young men held in Benghazi, Sahaf said: “We are still waiting for an official report from the Libyan security agencies. We will do everything possible to return them to their families.” He noted that, “So far, no families of the six youths have contacted the embassy directly, but we are trying to reach them.”

“At this point, we cannot confirm when these migrants will return to Iraq. That depends on the procedures required by Libyan authorities,” he said. Sahaf warned young people in Iraq not to work with people smuggling networks, saying they risk being imprisoned or killed in Libya.

Political efforts

Governments continue to work on addressing irregular migration, which remains a serious issue for Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and the world. Authorities are working to return individuals who cross international land and sea borders illegally.

“We have began efforts to find these youths and work to free them and return them to their families as soon as possible,” Saleem Pasha, senior advisor at the KRG’s Department of Foreign Relations, told The New Region.

The New Region also passed the families’ request to Vian Sabri, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) bloc and a member of the Iraqi parliament’s foreign relations committee.

“I will send their request to the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs to help locate and return the youths,” said Sabri.