LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – An investigation by humanitarian organizations has revealed the sale of migrants as slaves in Libya. It is based on extensive field research, including testimonies from survivors held in prisons and detention centers run by Libyan militias.
Several NGOs, including Border Forensics and On Borders, put together the dossier, which was presented by a group of left-wing MEPs to the European Parliament in Brussels. According to the report, migrants in Tunisia are rounded up by Tunisian security forces, detained and sold to Libyan militias and traffickers for 12 euros per person, fueling a brutal system of abuse and exploitation. Women are sold for higher prices – up to 90 euros – because of their exploitation as sex slaves. The report exposes a coordinated system in which Tunisian security forces detain sub-Saharan African migrants before transferring them to Libyan armed groups. It alleges that the Libyan Border Guard and other armed factions are directly involved in the purchase and detention of migrants. Many are sent to Al-Assah prison, a notorious Libyan militia-controlled facility near the Tunisian-Libyan border.
Once transferred, migrants are held for ransom, forced to work or sold back to other criminal networks. Militias contact the families of detained migrants demanding a ransom in exchange for their release. Those who cannot pay are subjected to forced labor, sexual violence or further trafficking. Reports also indicate that migrants are exchanged for fuel and drugs, further integrating human trafficking into Libyàs vast illicit economy. Testimonies from survivors paint a harrowing picture of the situation. Tunisian police and Libyan militia reportedly refer to captured migrants as “black gold”. The report accuses the European Union of directly enabling these human rights violations by funding North African border security forces.
(ITALPRESS).
-Photo: Agenzia Fotogramma-
