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The United Nations (UN) issued a strong call on Tuesday for Libya’s rival governments to implement immediate reforms to end the “systematic and widespread” abuse of migrants and refugees.
A joint report from the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the human rights office (OHCHR) described a “brutal and normalised reality” where vulnerable individuals are trapped in a cycle of exploitation.
The document details horrific conditions across approximately 40 detention centres, citing evidence of slavery, torture, sexual violence, and enforced disappearances.
The report identifies a pattern of “illegal and dangerous interceptions at sea” and arbitrary detentions that fuel a highly profitable human trafficking model.
While official records show nearly 5,000 people held in government centres by the end of 2025, non-governmental organisations warn the actual figure is significantly higher.
The UN agencies are calling for the immediate release of those held in these facilities and a total overhaul of the country’s migration policies to protect human dignity.
The political instability following the 2011 uprising has left Libya divided between a UN-backed administration in Tripoli and a rival eastern government. This power vacuum has allowed trafficking networks to flourish, preying on the nearly 900,000 migrants currently in the country.
The Mediterranean route remains one of the world’s deadliest, with over 33,000 deaths or disappearances recorded since 2014—a figure the UN believes is a conservative estimate given the frequency of unrecorded shipwrecks.
In addition to domestic reforms, the UN urged the European Union and its member states to halt all interceptions and returns of migrants to Libya.
The report argues that such returns must be suspended until adequate human rights safeguards are established.
As Libya continues to serve as a primary departure point for those attempting to reach Europe, the UN maintains that the current “exploitative model” must be dismantled to prevent further loss of life and suffering.
