8 Mar 2011

LIBYA / LAST SHIP

The final mass evacuation scheduled from the port of Benghazi to the Egyptian port of Alexandria left today carrying mostly workers from Bangladesh, but many Somali refugees remain stranded at the port. UNHCR

Posted at: March 8, 2011 3:30 pm

Duration: 01:40

Available in: SD

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Full script

STORY: LIBYA / LAST SHIP
SOURCE: UNHCR
TRT: 1.40
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS

DATELINE: 6 MARCH 2011, BENGHAZI, LIBYA

SHOTLIST:

1.	Various shots, migrant workers heading towards ferry to be evacuated
2.	Various shots, evacuees standing in line at the port of Benghazi
3.	SOUNDBITE (English) Marep Khanali, Bangladeshi Worker:
"Now I go my country, because Libya is not good. I need to go my country because I'm so afraid in Libya and I need to my family."
4.	Various shots, migrant workers having their passports checked by IOM official
5.	Various shots, African migrants who are left behind
6.	Wide shot, Somali refugee Abdi Malik Mohammed talking to African migrant workers
7.	SOUNDBITE (English) Abdi Malik Mohammed, Somali Worker:
"Since we came here we did not see any ship, any transportation came for us, that's why we are worrying about everything. We feel alone actually."
8.	Various shots of evacuees boarding ferry

STORYLINE:

A group of Bangladeshi workers left the coastal Libya town of Benghazi by boat. But some Somalis are not so fortunate.

These migrant workers are taking the last ship out and finally heading home.

The ship is ferrying them from Benghazi to the Egyptian port of Alexandria. From there they will make the onward journey to Bangladesh.

They have been waiting for five days for this chance to get out of Libya.

SOUNDBITE (English) Marep Khanali, Bangladeshi Worker:
"Now I go my country, because Libya is not good. I need to go my country because I'm so afraid in Libya and I need to my family."

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) is helping process these men out of the country. They are mostly Bangladeshis, but also other nationalities - Sudanese, Iraqis and Lebanese amongst them.

Many had their passports withheld by employers and needed the support of their governments to leave the country.

But others are not so fortunate. Somali refugees watch and wait as every other group is rescued by their respective embassies. But they have no government to assist them, and their country is too insecure to return to.

SOUNDBITE (English) Abdi Malik Mohammed, Somali Worker:
"Since we came here we did not see any ship, any transportation came for us, that's why we are worrying about everything. We feel alone actually."

For now this is the last mass evacuation from Benghazi.