The operation to evacuate Irish people from Libya began winding down yesterday, and the Department of Foreign Affairs said the window of opportunity for anyone wishing to leave is getting smaller.
A spokesman for the Department said this morning he was not aware of any Irish citizen who needed to be evacuated from the country today.
He said one family group was making its way overland to Algeria. Department of Foreign Affairs officials are liaising with them.
Some Irish people were evacuated from Benghazi yesterday by sea on the British ship HMS Cumberland. Two Air Corps planes remain on standby in Malta.
The department estimated it has assisted about 100 Irish citizens or dual citizens who wished to leave Libya since the tensions erupted earlier this month.
The department had advised all Irish people in Libya to leave, and warned against travelling to the north African state.
Six Irish people working for a company in Libya arrived at the Athens port of Piraeus yesterday after a turbulent boat journey from Libya. They were met by officials from the Irish embassy.
Another group arrived via Gatwick yesterday morning while seven evacuees flew into Dublin’s Baldonnel airport on Saturday.
Speaking to the media after she got off an Air Corps Learjet, Libyan-based Christine Allen said it had been a terrifying experience for her and her family.
They had not intended to leave until they watched a rambling speech from Col Muammar Gadafy and grew alarmed. She said it was a huge relief to get on the boat which took them from Benghazi to Malta.
“It was frightening, and especially when you see them sitting there, and they are sitting with the guns at the harbour . . .” she said.
“You know anything could happen. Anything could have happened even at that stage.”
Raymond Beauchamp, who was working on a new airport in Benghazi, said the situation had deteriorated significantly in the days before he left.
Security had been provided to the workers, but they still felt uneasy. “It’s just getting progressively worse.”