Libyan authorities have discovered nearly 50 bodies in two mass graves in the country’s southeastern desert, officials announced Sunday. The grim find highlights the ongoing dangers faced by migrants attempting to reach Europe through Libya’s lawless terrain.
Mass Graves in Kufra
The first grave, containing 19 bodies, was uncovered Friday on a farm in the southeastern city of Kufra, according to the local security directorate. Authorities have transported the remains for autopsy. Images posted on social media showed officers and medics exhuming bodies wrapped in blankets from the sandy ground.
A second grave, holding at least 30 bodies, was discovered during a raid on a human trafficking center in Kufra. Mohamed al-Fadeil, head of the local security chamber, stated that survivors from the center indicated nearly 70 people may have been buried there. Authorities continue to search the site for additional remains.
Human Trafficking and Migrant Abuse
Following the raid, officials freed 76 migrants from captivity and arrested three suspected traffickers—one Libyan and two foreign nationals—on charges of detaining and torturing migrants. Prosecutors have ordered their continued detention pending further investigation.
Mass graves linked to migrant trafficking are tragically common in Libya. In 2023, authorities unearthed 65 migrant bodies in Shuayrif, a remote area south of Tripoli.
Libya’s Role in the Migrant Crisis
Libya has long been a major transit point for migrants from Africa and the Middle East attempting to reach Europe. The country has been in turmoil since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ousted longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi, leaving it divided between rival governments and armed militias.
Human traffickers have exploited Libya’s instability, smuggling migrants across borders from Chad, Niger, Sudan, Egypt, Algeria, and Tunisia. Once at the coast, smugglers force migrants into overcrowded, often unseaworthy boats for perilous journeys across the Mediterranean.
Widespread Abuse of Migrants
The United Nations and human rights groups have extensively documented the brutal treatment of migrants in Libya. Many face forced labor, torture, beatings, and sexual violence, often as traffickers attempt to extort money from their families.
Those intercepted at sea and returned to Libya—including women and children—are detained in government-run centers, where they continue to endure abuse and inhumane conditions. Despite global condemnation, migrant mistreatment in Libya remains a persistent crisis with no clear resolution in sight.
