The US-based network CNN, citing data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), revealed that the number of refugees residing in Libya had surpassed 100,000 individuals by last October.
The report links the surge in the number of Sudanese refugees to the escalation of the war in Sudan and the resulting mass displacement and killings.
Meanwhile, thousands of Eritreans are fleeing human rights abuses and compulsory military service, only for some to fall victim to human trafficking networks.
The UN report indicated that Sudanese nationals constitute the largest group of refugees in the country, with their numbers reaching approximately 84.4 thousand refugees. They are followed by the Eritrean community with around 8.9 thousand, then Ethiopians at about 2.3 thousand, South Sudanese refugees at 1.9 thousand, in addition to roughly 5.3 thousand Syrian refugees. These official figures might underrepresent the actual number of people on the ground.
This discrepancy is due to the fact that the UN’s monitoring and registration operations are primarily confined to areas under the control of the Government of National Unity in the west, making it challenging to track refugee populations in other regions.
The report concludes by noting that Libya remains a major staging post for migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean Sea towards Europe. The northeastern part of the Sahara Desert is the final African departure point for those fleeing persecution and conflict in search of better living conditions.