News‘Journey of hell’: Migrants in Libya endure torture, rape, forced labourA new UN report says migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in Libya are being forcibly rounded up and abused.

The United Nations has highlighted significant human rights concerns for migrants in Libya, reporting risks including death, torture, rape, and forced labor. A recent report from the UN Human Rights Office, released on Tue, Dec 10, 2023, reveals that migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees are often abducted and detained until ransoms are paid by their families.

The report, titled Business as Usual , is based on interviews with nearly 100 migrants between Jan 2024 and Nov 2025. It describes a system where human suffering is monetized, with detention centers becoming sources of profit. Migrants unable to pay are frequently sold or subjected to further exploitation.

Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has been a transit route for migrants from South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa attempting to reach Europe. The ongoing conflict has divided Libya into opposing administrations since 2014. The European Union has collaborated with the Libyan Coast Guard to intercept and return migrants to Libyan detention centers, despite the country being considered unsafe for disembarkation.

The report includes testimonies from survivors, who recount severe human rights abuses. For example, an Eritrean woman detained in Tobruk described her ordeal as a "journey of hell," facing repeated sexual violence. Another survivor, a Nigerian woman, recounted being forced into prostitution after being sold.

The report stresses the necessity of international search and rescue operations for migrants at sea and recommends halting the return of migrants to Libya until substantial human rights protections are in place.

Based on reporting by Al Jazeera.