‘Journey of hell’: Migrants in Libya endure torture, rape, forced labour | News
UN Report Highlights Abuse of Migrants in Libya
17 February 2026 — A new report from the United Nations has revealed alarming conditions for migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in Libya, where many face the threat of death, torture, sexual violence, and forced labor.
The report, released by the UN Human Rights Office on Tuesday, details the plight of individuals who are often forcibly abducted and detained for extended periods. Many are held until ransoms are paid or until they are sold by their captors.
“They endure prolonged detention and are coerced through torture and inhumane treatment into paying for their release,” the report, titled “Business as Usual,” stated. The findings are based on interviews with nearly 100 migrants conducted between January 2024 and November 2025, inside and outside Libya.
The report highlights that the exploitation of migrants has evolved into a profit-driven business model. “Detention has become a revenue stream within an exploitative, profit-driven system,” it noted. For many, survival relies on their ability to pay. Those unable to do so are often sold or discarded.
‘Journey of Hell’
Libya has emerged as a key transit point for migrants from South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa seeking to reach Europe, particularly after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Since 2014, ongoing factional conflict has further destabilized the country, leading to a split between rival western and eastern administrations.
In recent years, the European Union has offered support to the Libyan Coast Guard, which intercepts migrants at sea and returns them to detention centers, raising concerns about their safety and human rights.
Suki Nagra, the UN Human Rights representative for Libya, described the situation as increasingly dire. “We’re seeing waves of racist and xenophobic hate speech and attacks against migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees,” she said.
The report cited the case of an unnamed Eritrean woman detained for six weeks in a human trafficking operation in Tobruk. She described her experience as a “journey of hell,” revealing that multiple men raped her during captivity. She was released only after her family paid a ransom.
Another individual, identified as Gloria from Nigeria, detailed her forced marriage at 15 and subsequent victimization through prostitution. “People come there to buy people, to buy human beings,” she said, adding that she managed to escape after enduring severe abuse.
The report underscores the critical need for life-saving search and rescue operations for migrants at sea and urges the international community to cease returns to Libya until sufficient human rights protections are established.
For additional details, refer to the full report available through the UN Human Rights Office.
