UN refugee agency resumes airlifts of migrants from Libya to Niger

The United Nations’ refugee agency has airlifted 132 vulnerable migrants from Libya to Niger, the first group to be flown out after a two-month halt in such evacuations, AP reports. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees says the group of refugees and asylum-seekers was flown from Tripoli to Niger’s capital, Niamey, on Thursday. UNHCR’s humanitarian evacuation program had been halted in early March amid concerns from Niger’s government that migrants were arriving there faster than previous arrivals could be resettled elsewhere. UNHCR tried to fly out the migrants on Tuesday but the flight had to turn back to Tripoli because of technical problems.