18 Indians trapped in Libya’s Benghazi were rescued

The Indian Embassy in Libya has assisted the homecoming of 18 Indian nationals who had been stuck in Benghazi for several weeks, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced Tuesday. According to reports, fraudulent recruiting agencies attracted the Indians to the Libyan city.

“The Embassy of India in Libya facilitated the return of 18 individuals  from Benghazi, Libya. They would be arriving in India tomorrow,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.

“They had gone to work in Libya & had been stranded for several weeks. The Embassy worked closely with the local authorities and assisted the Indian workers with required authorisation and travel documents,” he said.

Jaiswal said the Embassy remained in touch with the Indians. “While their case was being looked into, the Embassy remained in constant touch with them to ensure their well-being, assisting them with articles of daily living,” he said.

“Three other Indian nationals from the same group, assisted by the Embassy, had returned to India last October,” he added. Jaiswal also thanked the Libyan authorities for their support and cooperation in the case.

Libya’s security situation has deteriorated since the civil conflict started in 2014. In reaction to the rising violence, the Indian government issued a travel restriction to Libya on April 16, 2016. The security situation has deteriorated in recent months, and there are now no direct flights between India and Libya.