Libya was hosting more than 936,000 migrants and refugees as of February 2026, with over half living in the western region and Sudanese nationals forming the largest community, according to international migration data.
A report by the Mixed Migration Centre, which is part of the Danish Refugee Council, said Libya remained the main departure point for migrants and asylum seekers attempting to reach Italy and Europe through the Central Mediterranean route, despite a significant fall in the number of departures.
Data from the International Organization for Migration showed that Libya hosted 936,134 migrants and refugees in February 2026, an increase of 9% compared with the same period in 2025. The total remained relatively stable compared with December 2025.
Around 53% of migrants and refugees were living in western Libya, while 36% were based in the east and 11% in the south.
Sudanese nationals represented approximately 36% of the migrant population, making them the largest foreign community in Libya. Nigeriens accounted for 20%, Egyptians for 19%, Chadians for 9% and Nigerians for 4%.
Libya also remained the leading departure country for people arriving in Italy through the Central Mediterranean. Departures from Libya accounted for 83% of arrivals along the route, with 11,848 migrants reaching Italy.
However, the number represented a 56% decline compared with the same period in 2025.
The number of refugees and asylum seekers registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Libya reached 113,026 by 1 June 2026, an increase of 22% from the previous year.
Sudanese nationals represented 83% of all people registered with the UN refugee agency. Their number rose by 41%, largely because of the continuing conflict in Sudan and the displacement it has caused.
Despite the decline in arrivals in Italy, deaths and disappearances along regional migration routes continued to rise.
The Missing Migrants Project recorded 865 deaths and missing persons on the Central Mediterranean route by the end of June 2026. This was a 57% increase compared with the previous year, even though arrivals in Italy fell by 52%.
The figures suggest that fewer arrivals do not necessarily mean that journeys across the Mediterranean have become safer.
The migrant rights organisation Caminando Fronteras also recorded more than 507 deaths off the Algerian coast along the Western Mediterranean route, an increase of 54%.
Meanwhile, the Alarm Phone Sahara organisation reported that Algeria expelled 14,602 people to Niger between 18 January and 17 May 2026.
The Moroccan Association for Human Rights documented the deaths of 26 migrants and refugees in remote border areas in eastern Morocco during the first four months of the year.
The report also recorded an increase in migrant arrests, detention operations and deportations in western Libya.
Security operations in Sabratha targeted undocumented migrants, particularly women living in residential apartments. Several women were reportedly transferred to detention centres in Tripoli ahead of deportation.
Local authorities in Al-Dhahra ordered property owners to remove undocumented foreign nationals from residential buildings, while Zuwara Municipality imposed a temporary night-time curfew on foreigners.
At the national level, the Interior Minister and senior security officials held several meetings during which they rejected proposals to permanently settle migrants in Libya, describing such plans as a threat to national security.
Authorities in Benghazi also said Libya was not a country of permanent settlement and warned that people entering without valid documents would be deported.
Libya and Somalia agreed to strengthen cooperation on migrant returns after the number of Somali nationals travelling through Libya towards Italy rose by 181%.
Plans are reportedly under consideration to return around 400 Somali nationals currently living in Libya.
European cooperation with Libyan authorities on migration management also continued.
Rome hosted a meeting involving representatives from Libya, Turkey and Qatar to discuss security cooperation and migration management.
The European Union also expanded cooperation with authorities in eastern Libya through the EU naval mission Operation Irini. The cooperation is expected to provide assistance to Libyan law enforcement institutions and may include a proposed maritime rescue coordination centre in Benghazi.
However, the rights organisation Statewatch criticised closer European cooperation with eastern Libyan authorities, citing allegations of violations against migrants.
Libya remains both a major destination and transit country for migrants fleeing conflict, poverty and instability across Africa. The growing number of Sudanese nationals, rising deaths along migration routes and increasing deportation operations continue to place the country at the centre of regional and European migration policies.
