Libyan Authorities Free More Than 200 Migrants From Secret Prison, Sources Say

Sahara Reporters

Southeastern town of Kufra, Libya, located on a map.

Libyan security authorities have freed more than 200 migrants from what they described as a secret prison in the southeastern town of Kufra, where they were held in inhuman conditions, two local security sources told Reuters on Sunday.

Reuters quoted sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the operation uncovered an underground detention facility nearly three metres deep, allegedly run by a Libyan human trafficker. One of the sources said the suspect has not yet been arrested.

“Some of the freed migrants had been held captive for up to two years in underground cells,” one source said.

Another source described the discovery as “one of the most serious crimes against humanity uncovered in the region,” adding that the operation involved a raid on a hidden prison containing multiple underground detention chambers.

According to the sources, the migrants are from sub-Saharan Africa, primarily Somalia and Eritrea, and include women and children. Kufra is located around 1,700 kilometres east of the capital, Tripoli.

Libya has become a key transit route for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011. Many attempt dangerous journeys across the desert and the Mediterranean in hopes of reaching Europe.

Despite its oil-based economy attracting migrants seeking work, Libya’s weak security situation has left many vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and trafficking.

Last week, at least 21 migrant bodies were discovered in a mass grave in eastern Libya. Two security sources told Reuters that up to 10 survivors found with the group showed signs of having been tortured before being freed.

Libya’s Attorney General said on Friday that authorities in the east had referred a suspect to court in connection with the mass grave, on charges of committing serious violations against migrants.

In February last year, authorities recovered 39 migrant bodies from around 55 mass graves in Kufra. The town is also home to tens of thousands of Sudanese refugees who fled the conflict that erupted in Sudan in 2023.

Source: Reuters



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