The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has deployed emergency teams to Eastern Libya to assist dozens of migrants who have been freed from detention in appalling conditions.
"These shocking cases highlight the severe risks faced by migrants who fall prey to criminal networks operating along migration routes," said Nicoletta Giordano, IOM Chief of Mission in Libya. "The horrific abuses uncovered in both Ajdabiya and Kufra underscore the urgent need to strengthen protection mechanisms, combat trafficking and smuggling, and support accountability processes for perpetrators."
Last week, Libyan authorities launched an operation to close an illegal detention site, which led to the release of 195 migrants and the recovery of 21 bodies from a nearby burial site in Ajdabiya. Investigations indicate that the victims had been held in captivity and subjected to torture to coerce ransom payments from their families.
In a separate operation in Kufra, security authorities discovered an underground detention site three metres underground. During the operation, 221 migrants and refugees were released, including women and children, among them a one-month-old baby. Initial information suggests that the migrants had been held for a prolonged period in grossly inhumane conditions. At least ten people were transferred to hospital for urgent treatment.
IOM teams in Kufra are providing medical screenings and referrals of urgent cases to hospitals and distributing warm clothes to support the released individuals.
The Organization acknowledges the efforts of the Libyan authorities in rescuing survivors, identifying victims, and launching coordinated investigations. Strengthening monitoring, data collection, and referral pathways, while enhancing the capacity of national institutions to identify and dismantle criminal networks remains essential to preventing further loss of life.
IOM remains committed to providing humanitarian assistance to migrants in need and supporting national institutions in enhancing protection-focused counter-trafficking efforts and rights-based border management.
