Over 150 Syrians flown home from Libya: UN migration agency

Over 150 Syrians flown home from Libya: UN migration agency
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The United Nations’ migration agency, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), has facilitated the voluntary return of 152 Syrians from Libya to Damascus, marking the first such flight from Libya to Syria in 2025, Arab News reported. The returnees were described as being in vulnerable situations, and the flight was organized at the request of the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This operation is part of IOM’s expanded efforts to support Syria’s recovery after years of conflict, aiming to ensure dignified and sustainable returns for Syrians displaced by the war that began in 2011. Since the fall of President Bashar Assad last December, over one million Syrian refugees have returned from abroad, according to UN data.

Direct weekly flights between Damascus and Tripoli, suspended for more than a decade, are scheduled to resume next week, as announced by Syria’s aviation authority. Libya remains a major transit point for thousands of migrants attempting to reach Europe by sea annually.

In August, the Syrian embassy in Tripoli reopened after being closed since 2012, though it has yet to fully resume consular services or diplomatic functions.