A new report by German humanitarian organisation Sea-Watch has alleged that around 7,400 migrants were subjected to collective expulsions or human trafficking across the Tunisia-Libya border between June 2023 and December 2025.
The report, based on testimonies collected by the organisation, claims that migrant interceptions at sea and mass arrests in Tunisia were often followed by forced transfers towards the Libyan border. According to witnesses, migrants were subsequently handed over to both official and unofficial actors inside Libya.
Sea-Watch said its findings were based on 33 testimonies gathered from migrants originating from Sub-Saharan African countries between December 2024 and February 2026. The organisation described the alleged practices as a form of “state-supported trafficking”, with particular attention given to reports of gender-based violence against women.
According to the report, migrants claimed they were targeted in Tunisia on the basis of their nationality or skin colour. Witnesses alleged that identity documents and passports were confiscated or destroyed before detainees were transported to border areas under harsh conditions.
The organisation identified the Tunisian city of Sfax as a major location linked to maritime interceptions and migrant arrests. It also referred to the Al-Maqisam military site near the Tunisia-Libya border as a key transit point before migrants were allegedly moved to detention facilities inside Libya.
Female migrants interviewed by Sea-Watch reported cases of degrading body searches, sexual abuse and rape during periods of detention and transfer. The report further alleged that some migrants faced detention for ransom, forced labour and sexual exploitation after arriving in Libya.
Tunisian authorities have repeatedly rejected such accusations. Tunisia’s Foreign Ministry previously described similar allegations contained in an earlier report as false and misleading.
The report was released as the European Union’s Migration and Asylum Pact entered into force, introducing new measures aimed at strengthening border controls, accelerating deportations and improving the management of asylum applications across member states.
Sea-Watch argued that Tunisia has become a central component of Mediterranean migration control policies through its cooperation with the European Union on irregular migration.