Libyan authorities have rescued dozens of irregular migrants after a vehicle transporting them overturned in a remote desert area southeast of Kufra, highlighting the dangers migrants face while traveling through smuggling routes across the country’s southern borders.
According to the Anti-Illegal Migration Agency, the incident occurred during a patrol conducted by its southeastern branch operating in the areas of Kufra and Rebiana. The patrols had been deployed to monitor border regions near Chad, roughly 370 kilometers south of the city of Kufra, as part of ongoing operations aimed at combating irregular migration and intercepting smuggling networks.
During the mission, security teams discovered that a vehicle carrying migrants had overturned in the desert. Upon arriving at the scene, patrol members found approximately 40 migrants, including men, women, and children, in extremely difficult humanitarian conditions. Authorities confirmed that two people died at the site of the accident.
Rescue teams immediately provided emergency assistance and first aid to the survivors before transporting them to a shelter center in Kufra. There, they will receive further medical care and humanitarian support while authorities complete the necessary legal and administrative procedures.
Officials noted that migrants traveling through Libya’s southern desert routes often face life-threatening conditions. Smuggling networks typically transport people in overcrowded vehicles across vast and harsh terrain, exposing them to extreme temperatures, dehydration, and accidents. The remote nature of these routes also makes rescue operations difficult and time-consuming.
During the operation, security forces seized two vehicles believed to have been used in the smuggling operation. Authorities said investigations are underway to identify those responsible for organizing the journey and facilitating the illegal transport of migrants across the border.
