More than a hundred undocumented migrants from Mali, Ghana,
Senegal, Nigeria, Niger and Liberia, who were stranded in Libya
with no money or travel documents, some en route to Europe, have so
far this year benefited from IOM's voluntary return and
reintegration programme.

The programme, set up in July 2006 in response to requests from
West African embassies in Tripoli, has provided comprehensive
return and reintegration assistance to a total of 3,139 destitute
migrants from 24 African and Asian countries.

The programme, which includes all the necessary safeguards to
ensure that the needs of persons in need of protection are met,
provides in-kind reintegration assistance of up to 500 Euros to
allow migrants to start income-generating activities after they
return home. 

"Many irregular migrants realize they have little future in
Libya and wish to return home," says Laurence Hart, IOM's Chief of
Mission in Tripoli. "But many say they are ashamed to go home empty
handed. IOM's reintegration assistance helps them come to terms
with their failure and gives them hope they can have a future at
home."

In March 2008, IOM opened the first humanitarian centre for
stranded migrants in Tripoli to provide vulnerable migrants with
medical assistance, support and counselling.  The centre,
which offers temporary accommodation for up to 40 people, is part
of a broader project co-financed by the European Union and Italy,
with additional support from the United Kingdom.

"While funding is secure to cover the return and reintegration
of up to 1,000 stranded migrants until March 2010, additional
funding would allow IOM to be even more responsive to increased
numbers of migrants requesting assistance on a daily basis," says
Hart.     

As part of its efforts to promote the rights of all migrants,
IOM Tripoli will next week organize a training course for members
of the civil society and directors of detention centres aimed at
promoting the protection of vulnerable migrants currently held in
detention centres.

Another IOM-organized workshop on helping Libya develop adequate
labour migration policies will take place in Tripoli from 16 to 19
February with funding from the European Union.

With some 4,000 kilometres of land and 1,700 kilometres of sea
borders, Libya is both a transit and a destination country for
migrants.  Irregular migrants are drawn to Libya by the demand
for unskilled labour and the strength of the local economy, and now
number close to a million.  Many remain stranded in transit,
unable to get to Europe or to return home.

For further information, please contact:

Laurence Hart

IOM Tripoli

Tel: +218 91 383 25 96

E-mail: "mailto:lhart@iom.int">lhart@iom.int