The United Nations has urged both Libya’s UN-backed government and rival authorities to implement urgent reforms to protect the rights and dignity of migrants and refugees.
A report released on Tuesday by the UN Human Rights Office and the UN Support Mission in Libya also called for a temporary halt on returning migrant boats to the country until adequate human rights protections are in place.
The findings reveal that migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in Libya face widespread and systematic abuses, including murder, torture, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Many are reportedly “rounded up and abducted by traffickers, often with links to authorities and criminal networks.”
The report condemns an “exploitative system” that targets migrants’ vulnerability, describing it as a “brutal and normalized reality.” Since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has served as a key transit point across the Mediterranean for people fleeing conflict and poverty, creating fertile ground for trafficking and exploitation.
The document identifies four major patterns of violations: dangerous and illegal interceptions at sea, slavery, sexual and gender-based violence, and torture or enforced disappearance.
It also calls for the immediate release of those held “arbitrarily” in around 40 official and unofficial detention centers. By the end of 2025, nearly 5,000 individuals were reported in official detention, though NGOs suggest the actual number may be much higher.
The UN’s conclusions are drawn from interviews with nearly 100 migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees from 16 countries across Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, painting a stark picture of the perilous conditions they endure in Libya.