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Libya Review
4 days ago
- General
- Libya Review
IOM: 100,000 Migrants Returned Home from Libya Since 2015
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has announced a major milestone, revealing that more than 100,000 migrants have voluntarily returned home from Libya since 2015 under its Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) programme. The figure highlights a decade of IOM's efforts to support migrants stranded across Libya in unsafe conditions, providing them with a safe and dignified way to return to their home countries. According to IOM, migrants returned to 49 countries across Africa and Asia, including Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Bangladesh and The Gambia. Of the total, nearly 73,000 were men, around 17,000 were women, and over 10,000 were children—many of them unaccompanied. Nicoletta Giordano, Chief of Mission at IOM Libya, said the programme remains essential amid high protection risks and limited legal migration pathways. 'VHR offers a crucial, life-saving option for those who wish to return home,' she said. The VHR programme provides comprehensive support before departure and after return, including travel document assistance, health checks, psychosocial support, and reintegration help. IOM stressed that all returns are voluntary and based on informed consent, even when options are limited. The organisation uses strong monitoring and evaluation tools to ensure accountability and improve assistance. Just last week, IOM arranged five return flights—from Benghazi, Sebha, and Misrata—demonstrating the broad reach of the programme. Among those helped are John and Temnaia, a Nigerian couple who met in Libya. After the birth of their daughter, they struggled to find opportunities for her future. 'We didn't see a future for her here,' John said, underscoring the importance of the VHR route. While IOM continues to support voluntary returns, it remains concerned about the risks facing migrants along the Central Mediterranean route. Tags: ImmigrationIOMlibyamigrantsVHR
Arab News
24-02-2025
- Arab News
What mass graves uncovered in Libya reveal about Europe's migrant crisis
LONDON: From the orange desert sand of southeast Libya, investigators were met with the unmistakable signs of yet another cruel atrocity. In crude pits dug in this remote expanse, the tattered clothing and yellowing remains of multiple victims emerged from the earth. The recent discovery of these latest mass graves in the troubled North African country has laid bare the horrific human cost of the migration crisis, exposing the ruthless exploitation of vulnerable people and the complicity of states and armed groups in perpetuating this grim cycle. For years, Libya has functioned as a key transit hub for migrants attempting to reach Europe, but for thousands, the journey ends not with the hope of a new life, but with torture, enslavement, and, in the case of those found in these desert graves, even death. The latest mass graves are not isolated tragedies. They are the consequence of a system designed to control migration at any cost — no matter, it would seem, how many bodies it leaves behind. In early February, the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed the existence of two mass graves in Libya — one in Jakharrah, around 400 kilometers south of Benghazi, containing 19 bodies, and another in the Kufra desert in the southeast, where at least 30 and possibly up to 70 were found. The victims' identities remain unknown, but evidence suggests they were murdered, as many of the bodies had gunshot wounds. These graves, found near known migrant detention centers, provide further proof of the extreme abuses suffered by migrants on Libyan soil. 'The loss of these lives is yet another tragic reminder of the dangers faced by migrants embarking on perilous journeys,' Nicoletta Giordano, IOM's Libya chief of mission, said in a statement. 'Far too many migrants along these journeys endure severe exploitation, violence, and abuse, underscoring the need to prioritize human rights and protect those at risk.' These latest discoveries follow years of similar grim findings. In March 2024, another mass grave containing the bodies of 65 migrants was uncovered in the country's southwest. Yet, despite mounting evidence of the scale of abuse and killings, little has changed. The international response has been slow, and Libya's fractured governance has allowed human trafficking networks to flourish with near-total impunity. For more than a decade, Libya has been at the center of a human trafficking and smuggling network with tentacles reaching across continents. The collapse of Muammar Qaddafi's regime in 2011 amid a NATO-backed uprising plunged the country into chaos, creating a lawless environment where armed groups, militias, and even government officials have profited from the suffering of migrants. The country's vast desert borders with Chad, Niger, Sudan, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia make it an attractive gateway for those seeking to reach Europe, but they also make it a potential death trap for those who fall into the hands of traffickers. 'Libya's trafficking networks aren't just criminal enterprises — they're institutionalized businesses involving state officials, armed groups, and even those tasked with stopping them,' Anas El-Gomati, director general of the Sadeq Institute, a Libyan think tank, told Arab News. 'Take Kufra, where these graves were found. It's under the Libyan National Army and Khalifa Haftar's control, yet these operations continue openly. Why? Because trafficking isn't a bug in the system; it's a feature.' Migrants attempting to cross Libya are often captured, detained, and forced into brutal conditions. Some are held in unofficial prisons run by militias, where they often face beatings, torture, rape and forced labor. Others are extorted, as families back home are contacted and pressured to pay ransoms for their release. If no ransom is forthcoming, migrants may be sold into slavery, trafficked again, or simply executed. Tim Eaton, a senior research fellow at Chatham House, explains that human smuggling in Libya operates within a broad ecosystem of corruption and armed conflict. 'It's not just about a highly integrated set of traffickers — though of course those traffickers exist. It's more widely about that system, and it's about the profits and the rents that are distributed throughout it,' he told Arab News. 'Armed groups are benefiting from both sides of the ledger — from facilitating smuggling to a degree and from the use of abusive patterns to extract labor and other things from the migrants. Plus they are able to get legitimacy and financial support from European policymakers for their work.' Indeed, this cycle of abuse is fueled, in part, by European migration policies that even mainstream political parties now say should prioritize reducing the number of arrivals over the safeguarding of human lives. Some say EU migration policies have played a significant role in shaping the crisis in Libya. Their argument: by outsourcing border control to Libyan authorities and funding the Libyan Coast Guard, the EU has effectively helped sustain a system that facilitates human trafficking rather than dismantling it. Migrants intercepted at sea are often returned to detention centers where they are subjected to further abuse. 'The most troubling part? The same forces receiving EU money to 'combat trafficking' are often the ones profiting from it,' said El-Gomati. 'It's a lucrative cycle: intercept migrants, detain them, extort them, and sometimes traffic them again. All while Europe looks the other way, preferring to keep migrants out at any cost.' This strategy of externalization has allowed European governments to distance themselves from the abuses occurring in Libya, while still benefiting from the reduction in irregular migration. The price of this policy is paid in human lives. According to the UN, more than 2,200 people died or went missing in the Mediterranean in 2024 alone, and many more perished before ever reaching the coast. The mass graves in Libya are a grim testament to the need for reform. Experts argue that without meaningful intervention, these tragedies will continue. But what should that intervention look like? 'The solution isn't more boats for the Libyan Coast Guard or more funding for detention centers,' said El-Gomati. 'We need a complete overhaul of the system. 'First, stop treating Libya as Europe's border guard. Second, create safe, legal migration pathways. Third, implement real accountability — not just for low-level traffickers, but for the officials and armed groups running these networks.' This may be wishful thinking, however, as across Europe and in the UK, public tolerance for immigration — both regular and irregular — seems to be at an all-time low. Eaton, nevertheless, agrees that securitization alone is not enough. 'Up until now, really, the prevailing approach has been to securitize this problem, to say that this is a rule of law issue, that the borders need to be enforced, that criminals need to be imprisoned. But in reality, that can never address all of the aspects of this ecosystem,' he said. Instead, Eaton suggests a long-term solution must involve addressing the economic and political incentives that sustain human trafficking in Libya. 'If it's going to be possible to convince Libyans who live in those areas to transition away from those sources of revenue, then clearly part of this is going to be looking at other, softer approaches, such as local economic development and finding pathways and alternatives for those people from these areas to find other sources of revenue,' he said. Beyond Libya, experts want to see broader international cooperation to tackle the root causes of migration. Many of those who embark on these dangerous journeys are fleeing war, poverty, and persecution. Without addressing these underlying factors, aid agencies believe no amount of border security will stop people from risking everything for a chance at a better life. The mass graves found in Libya are not just evidence of individual crimes — they are perhaps symbolic of a system that has allowed mass killings, enslavement, and exploitation to become routine. Each person buried in these graves once dreamed of something better, who risked everything for a future that was denied to them. Until there is the political will to dismantle trafficking networks, hold perpetrators accountable, and provide safe migration routes, it is highly likely that many more bodies will turn up in the desert and Libya will remain a hostage to criminality.
Zawya
11-02-2025
- Zawya
Two mass graves of migrants uncovered in Libya
Nineteen bodies were discovered in Jakharrah, around 400 km south of the coastal city of Benghazi, while at least 30 more were found in a mass grave in the Alkufra desert in the southeast. It is believed the second grave may contain as many as 70 bodies. It is not yet known how the people died nor their nationalities, although IOM confirmed that some had been found with gunshot wounds. 'The loss of these lives is yet another tragic reminder of the dangers faced by migrants embarking on perilous journeys,' said Nicoletta Giordano, IOM Libya Chief of Mission. 'Far too many migrants along these journeys endure severe exploitation, violence and abuse, underscoring the need to prioritize human rights and protect those at risk.' The graves were both discovered following a police raid reportedly on a human trafficking site, during which hundreds of migrants were rescued from traffickers. The route across the Libyan desert to the shores of the Mediterranean is often used by traffickers to smuggle people to Europe. Libyan security forces continue operations to capture the people responsible for the deaths of the migrants and according to news reports one Libyan and two foreign nationals have been arrested. IOM urged the Libyan authorities 'to ensure a dignified recovery, identification, and transfer of the remains of the deceased migrants, while notifying and assisting their families'. It is not the first time a mass grave has been uncovered in Libya. In March 2024, the bodies of 65 migrants were found in the southwest of the country. According to IOM's Missing Migrants Project, out of the 965 recorded deaths and disappearances in Libya in 2024, more than 22 per cent occurred on land routes. IOM said: 'This highlights the often-overlooked risks migrants face on land routes, where fatalities frequently go underreported,' adding that 'strengthening data collection, search and rescue efforts, and migrant protection mechanisms along these routes is crucial to preventing further loss of life'. The migration agency has urged all governments and authorities along migrant smuggling routes to strengthen regional collaboration to safeguard and protect migrants, irrespective of their status. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.
Sky News
10-02-2025
- Sky News
Some bodies of migrants found in Libyan mass graves had gunshot wounds, UN migration agency says
Some of the bodies of migrants found in two mass graves in Libya in recent days had gunshot wounds, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has said. Nearly 50 bodies have already been uncovered, with fears authorities may still find more. On Friday, 19 bodies were found in the first mass grave, according to Libyan authorities, with at least 28 more discovered on Sunday in a second mass grave - both in Kufra, in the southeast of the country. The IOM, a United Nations agency, said that across the two mass graves, some of the bodies had gunshot wounds. Al Abreen, a charity which helps migrants in Libya, also said some of the dead were apparently shot and killed. At the second grave, Mohamed al Fadeil, head of the security chamber in Kufra, said survivors believed there were around 70 people buried there, meaning more bodies were likely to be recovered. The nationalities of the dead remain unknown. During the police raids which discovered the graves, 76 migrants were freed "from forced detention". "The loss of these lives is yet another tragic reminder of the dangers faced by migrants embarking on perilous journeys," said Nicoletta Giordano, IOM's Libya chief of mission. She added: "Far too many migrants along these journeys endure severe exploitation, violence and abuse, underscoring the need to prioritise human rights and protect those at risk." Libya's attorney general said there had been three arrests during the raid on the second grave - of one Libyan and two foreigners. It added that the gang allegedly responsible for the trafficking had subjected the migrants to violence and even "tortured" some. Traffickers exploit chaos in Libya Migrants' mass graves are not uncommon in Libya. Last year, authorities discovered at least 65 migrants in a mass grave in the Shuayrif region, 220 miles (350km) south of the capital, Tripoli. The country is a key part of the route for migrants from Africa and the Middle East trying to get to Europe. Libya was plunged into chaos by a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The oil-rich country has been ruled for most of the past decade by rival governments in its east and west, each backed by foreign governments and an array of militias. Human traffickers have exploited the chaos, packing desperate migrants into boats ill-equipped for the Mediterranean voyage to Europe.
Al Jazeera
10-02-2025
- Al Jazeera
Bodies of migrants in Libya mass graves had gunshot wounds, UN says
Gunshot wounds have been discovered on some of the bodies of migrants and refugees recently discovered in mass graves in Libya, the United Nations says. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) expressed 'shock and concern' on Monday over the discovery of the two mass graves in the North African country, saying that they were found by authorities following a police raid which saw hundreds rescued from people traffickers. According to the IOM, 19 bodies were discovered in Jakharrah, located around 250 miles (400km) south of Benghazi. At least 30 more were found in a mass grave in the desert region of southeastern Kufra, which could contain as many as 70 bodies. While gunshot wounds were discovered on some bodies, confirming previous reports from Al-Abreen, a charity helping refugees in the country, the exact circumstances of the deaths were unknown, said the UN agency. 'Far too many migrants along these journeys endure severe exploitation, violence and abuse, underscoring the need to prioritise human rights and protect those at risk,' Nicoletta Giordano, the IOM's chief of mission for Libya, said in a statement. Last year, authorities unearthed the bodies of at least 65 migrants in the Shuayrif region, south of the capital Tripoli. Human traffickers have benefitted from more than a decade of instability, smuggling migrants and refugees across the country's borders with six nations – Chad, Niger, Sudan, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia. Rights groups and UN agencies have for years documented systematic abuse of migrants in Libya. On Monday, the IOM urged the Libyan authorities to ensure 'a dignified recovery, identification, and transfer of the remains of the deceased migrants while notifying and assisting their families'. According to the agency, more than 22 percent of the 965 recorded deaths and disappearances of migrants and refugees in Libya last year occurred on land routes. 'This highlights the often-overlooked risks migrants face on land routes, where fatalities frequently go underreported,' the IOM said. Libya has seen more than a decade of instability after plunging into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The political turmoil has given rise to rival governments and competing armed groups, which have been accused of violations against migrants. 'Migrants and asylum seekers, including children, arbitrarily detained in facilities controlled by armed groups affiliated with both governments or smugglers and traffickers, suffered inhumane conditions, torture, forced labor, and sexual assault,' Human Rights Watch said in a recent report on Libya.
