Côte d’Ivoire repatriates 254 migrants from Libya and Niger

A total of 254 Ivorian migrants were repatriated to Abidjan in August 2026 through two separate voluntary return operations organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the European Union.

The first group, consisting of 135 men, arrived from Niger on August 11. The second group, arriving on August 13, included 119 migrants from Libya, comprising 79 men, 18 women, and 22 minors. These returnees were received at Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport by Adama Dosso, the Minister Delegate in charge of African Integration and Ivorians Abroad, alongside representatives from the EU and IOM.

These operations are part of the Migration Protection, Return and Reintegration Programme in Sub-Saharan Africa (MPRR-SSA). Upon arrival, migrants receive coordinated support, including psychosocial, medical, and financial assistance to aid their initial reintegration. According to Minister Dosso, more than 4,000 Ivorian citizens have returned to the country since the beginning of the year following perilous journeys through the desert or across the Atlantic.