A South Africa-based human rights organization has urged Libyan authorities to release Sudanese nationals held in arbitrary detention and dismantle trafficking and extortion networks targeting refugees fleeing the conflict in Sudan.
The appeal was issued by the Human Rights Association, an initiative linked to the WeCare Foundation in Cape Town. The organization warned that Sudanese refugees in Libya are facing severe abuses, including arbitrary detention, forced labor, sexual violence, extortion, and trafficking.
According to the group, many Sudanese refugees arrive in Libya after escaping the war that erupted in Sudan in April 2023, only to encounter new dangers linked to armed groups, criminal networks, and weak protection mechanisms inside Libya.
The organization called on Libyan authorities to cooperate with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other international agencies to ensure the protection of Sudanese refugees and facilitate voluntary repatriation or safe resettlement for those unable to return home.
The statement comes amid growing international concern regarding the treatment of migrants and refugees in Libya, which remains one of the main transit countries for people attempting to reach Europe through the Mediterranean.
According to UN figures, more than 240,000 Sudanese refugees have entered Libya since the start of the Sudan conflict, with many arriving through the southeastern border region near Kufra. Tens of thousands have reportedly registered with international refugee agencies inside Libya.
Recent reports issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Support Mission in Libya documented widespread abuses against migrants and refugees across Libya, including torture, trafficking, arbitrary detention, forced labor, and sexual violence.
The reports identified Sudanese refugees among the groups most heavily affected by these violations, particularly women and children.
Human rights organizations also raised concerns over detention conditions inside Libya, describing overcrowded facilities, limited medical care, and ongoing cases of extortion and abuse.
The Human Rights Association called for the immediate release of Sudanese nationals detained without legal charges and urged Libyan authorities to cooperate fully with international investigations into abuses against migrants and refugees.