Forty citizens of the Kurdistan Region who had been detained in Libya were repatriated on Sunday following the intervention of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

In a statement, the KRG said that the repatriation was successfully carried out with the support of Ahmad al-Sahaf, Charge d’Affaires at the Iraqi Embassy in Libya.

Upon their arrival in the Kurdistan Region, the returnees were received by teams from the KRG Ministry of Interior and the Department of Foreign Relations, alongside medical and support personnel.

“After completing the necessary procedures and medical examinations to ensure their well-being, all individuals were reunited with their families,” the KRG added.

Libya has emerged as an alternative route for human smuggling to Europe after other pathways to the continent have become increasingly difficult to access.