In 2024, the number of migrants and refugees in Libya reached 787,000, according to estimates by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). While some seek work opportunities in Libya, many others see it as a transit point to Europe, fleeing the difficult conditions they face.
Harsh Living Conditions and Constant Abuse
A report by Doctors Without Borders indicates that migrants in Libya live in extremely dangerous conditions, exposed to various forms of violence and abuse inside and outside detention centers. They also face immense difficulties in accessing necessary healthcare, amid widespread kidnapping, extortion, human trafficking, assaults, and sexual harassment.
Lack of Legal Protection and Healthcare
Steve Bopp, head of Doctors Without Borders programs in Libya, emphasizes that individuals without official documents lack legal protection and support from the country’s fragile institutions, depriving them of healthcare and exposing them to daily violence, including torture, rape, and human trafficking.
Migrants and refugees live in overcrowded and unsanitary locations, such as shared rooms, abandoned barns, and construction sites, increasing their risk of contracting diseases. Essam Abdullah, Deputy Medical Director with Doctors Without Borders in Libya, notes that the health situation of migrants reflects the poor living conditions and torture they endure, in addition to the challenges they face in accessing healthcare, leading to a rapid deterioration in cases of injuries and trauma.
Doctors Without Borders provides medical support in Misrata, Tripoli, and Zuwara, offering basic healthcare, sexual and reproductive health services, psychological support, and diagnostic and treatment services for tuberculosis and cases of sexual violence. It provided more than 15000 medical services and most of the psychological services provided last year were for patients suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The Critical cases are referred to hospitals in the capital for necessary treatment.
Fear of Kidnapping .. A Source of Profit for Militias
Migrants live in constant fear of kidnapping or arrest, forcing them to hide in isolated places and delay seeking medical care until their health deteriorates significantly. This has led to the deaths of 16 tuberculosis patients due to not receiving timely treatment, according to the Deputy Medical Director of Doctors Without Borders in Libya.
Steve Bopp points out that migrants represent a lucrative model for militias with the collusion of the EU, who exploit them financially in exchange for allowing them to cross or release them, exposing them to the risk of falling into the hands of criminal networks again.
In addition to providing healthcare, Doctors Without Borders focuses its efforts on finding safe and legal pathways to evacuate people from Libya, such as the humanitarian corridor between Libya and Italy. The organization calls for a significant expansion of these options to save the lives of more migrants at risk.
