An important transition hub for African migrants heading to Europe and also a destination for refugees and asylum seekers, Libya in Northern Africa is facing constant challenges to development as a result of human rights violations that are sparked by illegal trafficking. Migrants and refugees are subjected to forced labor, arbitrary detention, sexual violence, and even murder. This crisis is undermining sustainable development by exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation and threatening regional peace as well as deepening poverty.
Although around 787,000 migrants and refugees were officially registered in Libya in 2024, the exact number is unknown to the authorities and international organizations due to many crossing the border illegally.
As a result, the country is struggling to develop resilient economic institutions that could ensure the long-run growth of the nation. This DevelopmentAid article explores the extent to which widespread human rights violations are weakening the nation’s main pillars of sustainable development, triggering economic sanctions, deterring foreign direct investment, disrupting oil and gas extraction, and deepening the ongoing health and humanitarian crises in Libya.
The migrant and refugee crisis in Libya
Since 2011, when the regime of Muammar Gaddafi fell after a 42-year rule, the political situation in Libya has been chaotic and turbulent for over a decade. This has led to the expansion of migrant smuggling networks, with the final destination being Europe.
The number of migrants in Libya steadily increased from 2021 to 2024 due to the dynamic changes in the Mediterranean rescue region. As of May 2024, at least 725,000 migrants were reported to be in Libya by the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), of which 148,107 were from Sudan. Between August and October of the same year, the number of Sudanese immigrants in Libya had risen to almost 207,000, who were joined by 187,470 from Niger, 162,231 from Egypt, and 81,220 from Chad.
The number of migrants being “smuggled” also rose. According to research by Chatham House, their number increased from almost 151,000 in November 2021 to close to 215,000 by May 2024, with most originating from East and West Africa due to historical trading links.
Libyan Migrants Figures, from February 2017 to March 2024
Source: The Chatham House
Human rights violations against migrants and refugees in Libya
Human rights abuses by armed militias and groups are surging in Libya as a result of competition for legitimacy between the political elite and quasi-authorities. The Libyan authorities are cracking down on human rights activities, detaining the staff of non-government organisations, and subjecting migrants to violence and abuse. According to the IOM 2023 report, between January and November 2023, at least 947 migrants were found dead, and almost 1,256 went missing along the Mediterranean migration corridor after leaving Libya. In July 2023, Tunisia security forces deported at least 900 African migrants to a militarized buffer region on the Tunisia-Libya border.
According to IOM, in February 2025, two mass graves were found in the Al Kufra region, which contained at least 100 bodies, and in March 2024, the bodies of another 65 migrants were found in a mass grave in Southwest Libya. The discovery of mass graves on Libya’s migration route is proof of the severe human rights abuse meted out to migrants.
Arbitrary detention, violence, sexual assault, forced labor, and the murder of migrants in Libya are hindering sustainable development.
- Deepening health and humanitarian crisis: Overpopulated detention places are exposing migrants to diseases and poor or inaccessible healthcare services. Overcrowding and poor sanitation are causing tuberculosis. According to Doctors Without Borders (MSF), in 2024, almost 15,000 migrants in Libya received medical treatment, with most accessing mental health care as a result of post-traumatic disorders related to violence.
- Limiting Foreign Direct Investment: Global trade partners and the private sector are implementing economic sanctions against Libya due to human rights violations. The European Union continues to impose trade sanctions against Libya and has frozen the funds of individuals and companies identified by the UN Sanctions Committee.
- Impeding the extraction of oil and gas minerals: The mining industry is the backbone of Libya’s economy. According to the World Bank 2023 report, Libya’s oil and gas sector contributed 60% to the country’s GDP, amounting to 94% of Libya’s exports and securing 97% of government revenue. However, blockades by the militia groups that are controlling migration routes and a limited labor force as a result of the migration of workers are hindering Libya’s ability to exploit its oil and gas reserves. Armed militia controlling migrant corridors are destabilizing mineral-rich regions by using laborers for human smuggling and trafficking. In August 2024, protests that led to conflict led to a significant reduction in output at Libya’s Sharara oil field, reducing it by 60,000 barrels per day, or 20% of its capacity. Such revenue losses destabilize foreign exchange rates and hamper economic growth, leading to Libya’s sustainable development agenda stagnating.
International community reactions to increasing migrant issue in Libya
Donors of humanitarian aid and organizations providing humanitarian assistance have continually raised concerns about the dire situations facing Libyan migrants and have condemned human rights violations. From 2011 to 2023, the European Union allocated at least €95 million in humanitarian aid to Libya for victims of natural disasters, migrants, and refugees. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) provides basic amenities, education, and counselling to Libyan refugees and migrants on an ongoing basis and in 2023 assisted almost 45,000 migrants by ensuring access to education, livelihoods, shelter, information, counselling, and legal assistance programs.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) assists migrants in Libya by providing almost 52,000 outpatient consultations, 130 for TB treatment, and mental health services for 6,210 in 2023. The MSF also advocates for the suspension of financial support of the Libyan Coast Guard, which is perpetuating the heinous treatment of refugees and migrants in the Mediterranean coastline.
See also: Global squeeze: How governments are driving humanitarian groups out
Despite these efforts, the NRC and MSF were among the 10 international aid organizations to be banned by the Libyan authorities in early 2025 and prohibited from carrying out operations in the country. This list also includes Terre des Hommes, CESVI, the Danish Refugee Council, CARE, ACTED, InterSOS, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and the International Medical Corps. The Libyan authorities accused these organizations of “hostile actions,” with one of the main accusations being that they undermined Libyan national security by attempting to “settle migrants” of African origin in Libya, thereby altering the country’s demographic composition. Due to intensifying repression and restrictions being implemented by the Libyan authorities, other NGOs have also suspended their activity in the country.
Wrap up
The discovery of mass graves containing the bodies of migrants, multiple reported human rights violations, migrant smuggling, and other issues that affect refugees and migrants transiting Libya have a significant impact on the country’s economic development. These issues are also worsening the humanitarian crisis, threatening regional stability, and undermining sustainable growth. Constant intervention by aid organizations and international agencies is required to ensure respect for human rights and peace and stability in Libya.
