The United Nations has renewed its call for Libya to close its migrant detention centers, citing ongoing reports of abuse, overcrowding, and inhumane conditions faced by migrants and asylum seekers held in the North African nation.
In a statement released this week, the UN Human Rights Office and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) expressed grave concern over the treatment of thousands of migrants detained in official and unofficial facilities across Libya. Many of them were intercepted at sea while attempting to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe.
“Detention should never be the default solution,” said a UN spokesperson. “Migrants and refugees must be treated with dignity, offered protection, and given access to legal and humanitarian support.”
Rights groups have long documented cases of torture, forced labor, and sexual violence in the detention centers, many of which are run by militias or fall outside government control. Despite repeated international pressure, Libya continues to use the centers as part of its migration control strategy, often in cooperation with the European Union.
The UN has urged Libyan authorities to adopt alternatives to detention and to work with humanitarian agencies to establish safe reception facilities and voluntary repatriation programs.
As instability persists in Libya, thousands of migrants remain trapped in dire conditions, caught between the dangers of detention and the perils of attempting to cross the sea. The UN’s appeal highlights what it calls an “urgent moral and humanitarian imperative” to end the suffering of those seeking safety and a better life.