ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is set to repatriate 208 migrants from Libya in the coming days, with migrants taking the Libya route to Europe despite Erbil’s repeated warnings, an official said on Monday. 

“A total of 208 Kurdish migrants, the majority of whom are from the Ranya region, will be returned to the Kurdistan Region in two batches over the next two days,” Salim Pasha, senior advisor to the KRG’s foreign relations department, told The New Region.

The KRG is bearing the cost of their return, according to Pasha, who added that an Iraqi military aircraft will fly them back to Erbil from Tripoli. 

Thousands of migrants try to cross the deadly Mediterranean Sea illegally to reach Europe every year in search of a better life abroad, including a large number from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the Kurdish areas of Syria, Iran, and Turkey.

The Iraqi government has routinely warned of the dangers of illegal migration, with Libya having gained popularity in recent years as a major transit hub on the journey to Europe. 

In November, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said more than 1,000 people had died trying to reach Europe through the Central Mediterranean migration route in 2025.

In December, Bakr Ali, head of the Association of Returned Refugees, said the Kurdistan Region has repatriated over 300 migrants en route to Europe from African countries since the beginning of 2025, with many taking the Libya route.