Kurdistan Region says 33 citizens held in Libya to return within days

ERBIL, Iraq — The Kurdistan Regional Government's Interior Ministry said 33 citizens currently in Libya will be brought back to Erbil within the next week. The ministry said preparations for their return have been completed, following reports that a group of nationals had gone missing in the North African country. In a statement, the ministry said it had been tasked, together with the Directorate of Foreign Relations, with search, rescue and repatriation efforts after receiving the disappearance reports. The 33 individuals have now completed the required procedures and are scheduled to arrive in the Kurdistan Region next week, according to the ministry. The ministry said some of the young citizens had been held in prison for eight months and faced continuous risk of death. It warned against irregular migration routes to Western countries, saying such journeys carry deadly risks as well as legal consequences under foreign laws. The ministry added that 302 migrants have already been rescued and returned to the Region under various circumstances, and that work continues to bring the remaining group home. No further details on the flight or arrival date were immediately provided.