Human Trafficking In Libya Has Become An Economic Staple

Written by Bartholomew Robbins

BOSTON-The Libyan government has announced a successful military operation against smuggler operations in the country’s west.

Several smuggler outposts were targeted by airstrikes and destroyed at the end of May. The smugglers in question primarily traffick migrants and fuel. The towns in which the strikes were conducted have been plagued by an ongoing conflict between armed groups of smugglers and gangs.

Since 2011, Libya has been a major hub for the trafficking of migrants, who seek assistance in crossing the Mediterranean from the North African country into Europe. As continued unrest and civil conflict has put a damper on regular economic activity, trafficking has become something of a common occupation, providing a sense of security and stability. A report by Chatham House demonstrates how this has affected the town of Kufra, which plays a major role in smuggling operations. The population of the town-split mainly between Arabs and Tebus- have both benefitted greatly from the income smuggling produces, seeing a marked quality of life improvement for both ethnic factions. 

Migrants are often painted as a problem to be solved, seen as bringing a burden to Libya, allowing smugglers to paint themselves as a solution. This in itself is something of a paradox, in that more often than not, smugglers are the only reason many migrants end up in Libya in the first place, bringing them into the country to be smuggled overseas.

There have been many stories of migrants suffering abuse at the hands of the smugglers they have sought out. It has been reported that smugglers have tortured many of their prospective clients and their children in order to extort money from them for their services. In one case, nearly 300 Egyptian migrants were found locked in a warehouse with little access to food or water. The time spent in the warehouse ranged from a few days to several months, with many-particularly children- reporting verbal and physical abuse, and even electrocution. Communication with the outside world was completely shut off, as all of the migrants had their phones and personal belongings seized by the smugglers.

Despite these dangers, smugglers are the only option for many migrant families. Despite being a major destination for migrants seeking passage abroad, Libya provides no real alternative to illegal smugglers for allowing the movement of migrants seeking asylum in places like Europe. Instead, Libya tends to deport any migrants found back to their country of origin, encouraging migrants to work with illegal smuggling enterprises rather than seek any sort of assistance above board. On the other side of the sea, many European nations have also failed to provide any solution to allow migrants safe passage.