Libya rescues over 200 trafficked migrants from ‘secret prison’

In the town of Kufra, south-east Libya, national security authorities uncovered a ‘secret prison’ which unlawfully held migrant workers, according to The New Arab via Reuters on January 18th.

The security forces issued a raid, liberating more than 200 migrants, including women and children. The migrants mostly originated from Somalia and Eritrea.

One of the sources revealed that the ringleader, said to be a Libyan human trafficker, has not yet been detained. According to two security sources in the city, the captives were forced to live in inhumane conditions within underground detention cells.

Some of them were imprisoned for up to two years. It has been described by one source as “one of the most serious crimes against humanity that has been uncovered in the region”.

This is not an isolated incident, as it follows a series of similar events. Libya has become a hotspot for migrants across the continent and for human trafficking networks.

Its oil-dependent economy has been the main draw for any destitute persons seeking employment. But the lack of security in the region leaves many of the migrants in a dangerous position.

On January 14th, a mass burial site was discovered in eastern Libya, which held up to 21 bodies of migrants. Reuters was informed by two officials that 10 survivors of the group had retained signs of torture. Last year, Kufra was also host to a mass burial site of the graves of 55 migrants. Only 39 bodies were found.

In addition, Libya is also regarded by migrants as a gateway into Europe. Since 2011, after the downfall of Colonel Gaddafi, migrants have used these routes across the desert to escape poverty and conflict.

Upon addressing the issue, Chatham House explained in February 2025 that ‘the collapse of the Gaddafi regime and ongoing governance crisis led to the rapid expansion of migrant smuggling networks’ due to the ‘fragmentation of legitimate authority and a decline of law and order’.

Roughly tens of thousands of Sudanese reside in Kufra after having fled the civil war in 2023. On January 16th, Libya’s attorney general released a statement saying that the authorities east of the country referred a defendant connected to the mass grave on charges of “committing serious violations against migrants”.

The New Arab via Reuters, Maghrebi.org, Chatham House