Mogadishu, Dec 10 (NationPress) The Somali government has intensified its initiatives to repatriate citizens from foreign African nations, successfully enabling the return of 230 individuals who were either stranded or detained over the last five days.

This repatriation operation, backed by the United Nations migration agency, specifically the International Organization for Migration (IOM), occurred in Libya, Madagascar, and Sudan, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

On December 5, 161 Somali nationals returned from Libya, while 47 survivors of a boat disaster were brought back from Madagascar on Saturday. On Monday, 22 Somali nationals who had been detained in Sudan for attempting irregular migration were repatriated to Somalia.

Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, regarded the successful repatriations as a significant achievement in tackling the issues related to irregular migration and ensuring the safety of Somali nationals abroad.

"This operation emphasizes Somalia's steadfast commitment to its citizens and to confronting migration challenges through collaboration with our international partners," the minister stated in a release on Thursday upon the return of citizens from Libya.

The repatriation efforts were funded by the European Union and executed by the IOM. The majority of returnees from Libya on the December 5 charter flight were young men and women under the age of 30 who had been stranded in the country for several months.

The survivors of the Madagascar boating incident, aged between 17 and 50, expressed profound relief at their return to safety. The foreign ministry reported that the survivors of the early November boat tragedy, which resulted in 28 fatalities in the Indian Ocean off Madagascar, shared distressing accounts of their experience.

On Monday, the minister also announced the successful repatriation of 22 Somali citizens who had been held in Sudan's Dongola and Gadaref detention centers for three months.

All 22 individuals safely arrived in Mogadishu, marking yet another achievement in the ministry's ongoing efforts to uphold the rights and dignity of Somali citizens abroad and combat human trafficking, as noted by Fiqi.

Each year, hundreds of Somali migrants undertake risky journeys along the Northern Mediterranean route, crossing through various countries with aspirations of reaching Europe, according to the IOM.

The IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix report published in July indicated that over 1,500 Somali migrants were stranded in Libya, where many face perilous and unstable conditions.

Insecurity, along with insufficient food, shelter, and healthcare in Libya, puts these migrants at considerable risk, the IOM highlighted, pointing out that thousands urgently need protection and humanitarian assistance.