Libyan police have arrested 36 undocumented migrants, including Nigerians and Chadians, following a raid on a house allegedly used for prostitution in Ajdabiya.
According to Migrant Rescue Watch, the operation was carried out after weeks of surveillance and on the orders of the public prosecutor. Those arrested comprised 18 men and 18 women, including children.
The detainees have since been transferred to the Directorate for Combating Illegal Migration (DCIM) for further processing in line with Libyan immigration laws.
“The raid led to the arrest of 36 undocumented migrants of Nigerian and Chadian nationalities. All have been handed over to DCIM for completion of legal procedures,” MRW confirmed.
The DCIM, an agency under Libya’s Ministry of Interior, is responsible for managing undocumented migrants but has been repeatedly criticised by international rights groups for alleged abuses in its detention facilities.
Reports by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have highlighted overcrowding, poor sanitation, forced labour, and physical abuse in DCIM-run centres. In 2024, the agency was reportedly operating at least 30 official migrant detention camps, with children arbitrarily held in 11 of them.
Libya remains a major transit point for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa seeking to cross the Mediterranean into Europe, with many falling victim to trafficking, forced labour, and exploitation.
The Nigerian government is yet to react to the arrest of its nationals.
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