Peregraf- The body of a Kurdish migrant who recently died in Libya was returned to the Raperin Disctrict of Sulaymaniyah governorate and buried on Sunday. The migrant, identified as Hogir Aso, reportedly died of a heart attack on October 16. His body was repatriated with support from the Iraqi Federal Government and Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Department of Foreign Relations.
According to Bakr Ali, head of the Association of Returned migrants from Europe to Kurdistan region, more than 400 Kurdish migrants have been repatriated to the Kurdistan Region from Libya and Tunisia so far this year. Speaking at a press conference, he noted that 319 migrants stranded in Libya and 85 others in Tunisia were returned through the efforts of the KRG’s foreign relations department.
A group of 41 Kurdish migrants seeking to reach Europe illegally via Libya had been stranded in the country; 40 were brought home on October 25, 2025, while Aso was among those who remained behind.
Ali added that at least 25 Kurdish migrants are still being held in Libyan prisons, while around 20 others remain in Tunisia, seven in Bulgaria, two in Armenia, and one in Serbia.
He also urged the KRG to take action to return the body of another Kurdish migrant who died last month off the coast of Italy, calling for stronger measures to repatriate deceased migrants and assist those who remain stranded abroad.
Libya continues to serve as a major transit hub for migrants attempting to reach Europe, despite the risks posed by human smuggling networks and the country’s tense security environment. The Iraqi and KRG authorities, working with Libyan and international partners, have conducted multiple repatriation flights aimed at bringing back citizens trapped in unsafe migration conditions.