Dozen of stranded Gambian migrants in Libya are pleading for repatriation as they blamed the International Organisation for Migration Gambia office for their delay in the north African nation.

A migrant who issued an audio pleading for the help of media could be heard saying:”we want to come home to The Gambia, but we cannot.”

He said the UN flight that they registered for last month was cancelled after they received report that the International Organisation for Migration was denied a landing permit in The Gambia.

“We were told that IOM Gambia office didn’t give a landing permit to OIM office in Libya. So, they postponed our flight last month,” he said.

“But we’re finally told the reality by IOM that they didn’t have enough money to airlift us back home. They said they don’t have enough money for our tickets and hotel accommodation and our pocket monies which is 5,000 dalasis for each migrant,” he added.

“They told us that the 32 million given to them by the European Union is finished. And this they claimed airlifted 24 flights,” the man continued.

The International Organisation for Migration The Gambia office couldn’t be reach for comment on the allegations.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba