afrol News, 23 November - The International Organistion of Migration (IOM) has launched an urgent appeal to secure three million Euros to assist 2,000 stranded illegal migrants in Libya next year.

Many of the tens of thousands stranded illegal migrants who have been stranded in Libya have no means to return home.

Since 2006, the IOM has assisted 1,300 stranded migrants to return home voluntary with reintegration assistance, including a 300 Euro support start-up grant for income generating activities to help them re-start their lives.

The migration body said in the coming weeks, another 200 migrants will be helped through the European Commission and Italian government funded IOM programme.

However, the IOM said going by the dramatic increase in the number of requests for help being made by the stranded migrants in Libya, the body will be forced to suspend its programme unless additional fund is found.

Libya, a major transit point for large numbers of migrants attempting to sail through Europe, is currently hosting

many tens of thousands of irregular migrants from West, East Africa and Asia.

"Although Libyan authorities have put in place various strategies for managing migration flows to and through its borders such as increased border patrolling; training its migration officials; requiring labour migrants from some nationalities to have a contract before being admitted and adopting a regularization scheme for undocumented entrants, irregular migration flows remain significant," the IOM said in a statement.

It said the effectiveness of forced returns of irregular migrants is also proving to be weak, as many migrants make a second attempt to reach the country mainly because of the humiliation of returning home empty-handed, in debt and often in a worse economic situation than before they left.

IOM's assisted voluntary return and reintegration programme not only offers an alternative to dangerous attempts to cross the sea to Europe, but also provides those who choose to return to their country with an opportunity to build a life back at home again.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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