The UN calls for immediate legal reforms in Libya to end systematic abuses against migrants, including arbitrary detention, torture, and exploitation.
TRIPOLI: The United Nations has issued an urgent call for Libyan authorities to implement sweeping reforms to protect migrants and refugees.
A joint report from the UN Support Mission in Libya and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights details systematic and widespread abuses.
It condemns “an exploitative model” that preys on migrants’ vulnerability, describing it as “a brutal and normalized reality”. The report identifies four key patterns of violations.
These include illegal interceptions at sea, slavery, sexual and gender-based violence, torture, and enforced disappearances. The UN agencies demanded the immediate release of people arbitrarily held in detention centres.
They estimate nearly 5,000 individuals were in official centres by late 2025, though NGOs believe the true figure is far higher. Libya has been unstable since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi.
The country remains split between a UN-backed government in Tripoli and an eastern administration. This division has enabled rampant human trafficking and exploitation of migrants.
“To dismantle this highly exploitative model, urgent legal and policy reforms are required,” the UN bodies stated. Data from mid-2024 recorded around 900,000 migrants and refugees in Libya.
The report also urged the European Union and its member states to halt interceptions and returns to Libya. It called for a moratorium until adequate human rights safeguards are established.
Libya is a primary departure point for migrants attempting the perilous journey to Europe. The report highlights interceptions by the Libyan coast guard along one of the world’s deadliest routes.
It notes 33,348 deaths and disappearances were recorded in the Mediterranean from 2014 to 2025. The actual figure is believed to be significantly higher.
