By Goth Mohamed Goth
Twenty-Three Somaliland born refugees today arrived at the Egal International Airport after been repatriated from Libya by the IOM, the UN Migration Agency in collaboration with Somaliland government and the UN refugee agency.
Upon return, representatives from the Government of Somaliland and IOM welcomed the returnees in Hargeisa.
The head of Somaliland Refugee and Internally Displaced agency Abdikarim Ahmed Mohamed Hinif speaking upon receiving the 23 returnees said, “The returning youth were among the thousands of refugees and migrants languishing and locked up in detention centres inside Tripoli say they are terrified of what might happen to them as fighting between rival forces rages on the outskirts of the Libyan capital.
Mr. Abdikarim Ahmed Mohamed Hinif added that upon arrival, the youth registered with the government and we shall assist them with their medical and relocation expenses. Somaliland Refugee and Internally Displaced agency together with U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) shall provide some training to help the recent returnees rejoin their communities and build their lives.
The IOM programme is an indispensable part of a comprehensive approach to migration management aimed at orderly and humane return of migrants who are unable or unwilling to remain in host or transit countries and wish to return voluntarily to their countries of origin.
