- Thursday, February 27, 2025
The Indian nationals, hailing from the northern states of Punjab and Haryana, reached Delhi on August 20 following sustained efforts by the external affairs ministry, sources said.
By: Shubham Ghosh
SEVENTEEN Indian nationals, who were held captive by an armed group in Libya, have been rescued and brought back to India following sustained efforts by India’s ministry of external affairs (MEA), people familiar with the matter said on Monday (21).
The Indian nationals, hailing from the northern states of Punjab and Haryana, reached Delhi on Sunday (20) evening, they said.
VIDEO | 17 Indian youths, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, who were released from Tripoli Jail in Libya last month, returned to Delhi on Sunday night. They were in Libya for the past six months because of unscrupulous travel agents who duped them on the pretext of sending them to… pic.twitter.com/BhoXOJibrQ
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 21, 2023
The Indian embassy in Libyan capital Tunis played a key role in evacuation of the Indians, the people said.
The case was brought to the attention of the Indian embassy in Tunis on May 26 by the family members of the stranded Indian nationals.
The Embassy of India to Libya successfully repatriated 17 Indian Nationals from Punjab and Haryana (on 19 August 2023), who were detained in Libya since February 2023. The Indians safely reached India on 20 August 2023 by Gulf Air flight at 2030 hrs. pic.twitter.com/gnRysnZaw5
— India in Tunisia (@IndiainTunisia) August 21, 2023
The Indians were being held captive by an armed group in Zwara City in Libya after they were trafficked to that country, the people cited above said.
The Indian embassy in Tunis regularly pursued the matter with Libyan authorities throughout May and June, as well as through informal channels, they said.
On June 13, Libyan authorities were able to rescue the Indian nationals, but kept them in their custody, given that they had illegally entered the country, the people said.
Following high-level intervention by the Indian ambassador in Tunis and senior MEA officials from New Delhi, Libyan authorities agreed to release them, they said.
During their stay in Libya, the Indian embassy looked after the needs of the Indians, including providing essential food items, medicines and clothes.
Since they did not have passports, emergency certificates were issued for their travel to India, the people said.
Tickets for return to India were also provided and paid for by the Indian embassy, they added.
(PTI)
