Eastern Libya’s security forces have detained 75 irregular migrants following a high-speed chase near the Al-Uwainat region, close to the Sudanese border. According to the Department of Relations and Cooperation in eastern Libya, several other migrants managed to escape into Sudan.
The operation was initiated after receiving intelligence about vehicles transporting migrants attempting to enter Libya through Al-Uwainat. In response, Major General Salah Mahmoud Al-Khafifi, head of the Anti-Illegal Migration Agency, deployed desert patrol units to intercept the vehicles, coordinating with the Southeast Security Operations Room.
After a three-hour pursuit, authorities apprehended three vehicles carrying 75 migrants. However, additional vehicles fled across the border into Sudan. The exact number of escapees remains unclear.
Libya’s eastern region has become a refuge for thousands of Sudanese fleeing the ongoing war. According to the UNHCR, the number of Sudanese migrants in Libya reached 98,700 as of October 1, although Kufra’s mayor, Abdulrahman Aqoub, estimates the figure exceeds 100,000.
Irregular migration continues to challenge Libyan border security due to the country’s vast, porous boundaries. While authorities conduct deportations through the UN-backed Voluntary Return Programme, migrant inflows persist.
Separately, Libya’s Anti-Illegal Migration Agency announced the deportation of 56 Egyptian migrants via the Umm Saad land crossing on Thursday.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) previously reported that 5,000 migrants are held in Libya’s official detention centres. However, experts warn this figure underrepresents the total, with many detainees either held in unofficial prisons or hidden in secret facilities.
