MOGADISHU, Somalia – Somali citizens who were imprisoned in Russia were returned to the country on Saturday following tireless efforts by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The returnees numbering 16, including women who were imprisoned in a prison in Moscow, the capital of Russia expressed their happiness and gratitude, thanking everyone who had contributed to their repatriation.
“I am happy that our government has released us from a prison where we have been held for 30 days. I am happy to be back in my country,” said one of the young returnees.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Somalia said that it is committed to bringing back to the country the citizens who are imprisoned in different prisons in the country.
Hundreds of young Somalis are detained yearly for attempting to enter Europe illegally. Libya is one of the most dangerous places for Somalis, who are taken for ransom, sometimes paying thousands of dollars.
In recent years, however, migration to Libya has been decreasing.
It is not the first time that the government of Somalia has brought back Somali citizens imprisoned abroad, and it has already brought back young people from Libya and India.
The Somali government, in coordination with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), secured the release of hundreds of citizens, who were detained in several countries.
