Over 100 Ghanaian migrants who were detained in Libya have returned to Ghana after harrowing experiences in the hands of the authorities of the Northern African country.
The migrants who landed in Libya, mostly through the desert, told Starr News they decided to leave the country due to lack of employment.
Speaking to Starr News’ Josephine Asabea Akonor upon their arrival at the Kotoka International Airport Tuesday, March 13, 2018 a female migrant said “the condition was too hard for me.”
“My husband has been there for well over six years and I kept telling him to return and because I want to see him, I decided to join him. I’ve been there for about four years now. Libyans hate Blacks. They don’t appreciate what we do. When you work they won’t pay you.
“I worked at a very dangerous place. The police were harassing us. So I decided to come back and start a new life. Why should I stay there when I’m going through hardship. I’ll advise Ghanaians to believe that they can make it here in Ghana. Don’t go and waste money there and return empty handed. It doesn’t make any sense. They kill humans like fowls,” she advised.
The director of relief and reconstruction at the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) Gavivina Tamakloe said the migrants will be reintegrated with their families.
Early March, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Shirley Ayorkor Botchway served notice that with the help of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) about 200 Ghanaian migrants will be returning home.
A report by IOM in February revealed that about 53,200 illegal Ghanaian migrants are still in Libya.
The report ranked Ghana as one of the countries with the highest number of illegal migrants in the war torn Northern African country.
Out of the 12 countries ranked, Ghana came 5th followed by Nigeria and Mali. Niger topped the list of countries with 78,723 migrants followed by Egypt, which had a total of 78,616 migrants in Libya.
The Minister’s announcement comes months after some 127 Ghanaian detainees were rescued from Libya following a CNN’s footage of migrants being auctioned off as slaves in Libya.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
