TRIPOLI (LIBYA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A new report from the Mixed Migration Center, affiliated with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), reveals a 25% decrease in the number of migrants departing from Libya to Europe during the first quarter of 2025.
Despite the drop in departures, Libya continues to see a sharp rise in the number of irregular migrants and refugees residing within its borders. According to the data, approximately 9,168 migrants arrived in Italy between January and March of this year, with 93%—around 8,500 people—departing from Libyan shores. At the same time, the number of refugees and asylum seekers inside Libya is growing steadily.
Since the start of 2025, 88,283 refugees have been registered in the country, representing a 12% increase over the last quarter of 2024. Much of this growth is driven by ongoing conflict in Sudan, which has displaced hundreds of thousands. Since the Sudanese civil war began in April 2023, around 256,000 Sudanese refugees have fled to Libya.
Sudan now tops the list of countries of origin for refugees in Libya, accounting for 29% of the total. Migrants from Niger (23%), Egypt (20%), Chad (10%), and Nigeria (4%) follow. Data from IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix shows that the total number of migrants in Libya reached approximately 824,131 by December 2024—a 17% increase from the year prior. Most migrants are concentrated in western Libya (53%), followed by the east (34%) and the south (13%).
The report also highlights a resurgence of irregular migration from eastern Libya toward Greece during the first quarter of 2025, suggesting that smugglers and migrants may be adapting to tighter surveillance and enforcement in central Mediterranean routes.
-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).
