Libyan authorities have deported 80 Nigerian migrants being held in various detention centres across the country as part of ongoing efforts to curb irregular migration and decongest holding facilities.

The Department for Combating Illegal Migration (DCIM), in collaboration with the Nigerian Consulate in Tripoli, coordinated the repatriation exercise through Mitiga International Airport on Wednesday.

According to Migrant Rescue Watch, a group monitoring migrant welfare and human rights in Libya, the deportation followed judicial directives issued by the Libyan Judicial Police.

In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, the organisation said, “Judicial Police Dept. on orders of Public Prosecutor’s Office transferred a group of undocumented migrant females of Nigerian nationality to DCIM custody in Tripoli. All females were served with judicial deportation order and are awaiting deportation.”

It added that the latest batch of returnees included migrants previously transferred under judicial orders.

“Libya 11.11.25 – DCIM with Nigerian consular support, repatriated 80 migrants of Nigerian nationality via Mitiga Int. Airport in Tripoli. The group includes migrants transferred by the Judicial Police who were served with a judicial deportation order,” the statement read.

The development comes amid renewed efforts by Libyan authorities, in partnership with diplomatic missions, to regulate the presence of undocumented migrants and address concerns over overcrowding and human rights conditions in detention facilities.