Libyan coastal security forces have intercepted 55 irregular migrants on the shoreline of Ahrawa, east of Sirte, preventing what authorities said was an attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea toward Europe.
The operation was carried out by patrols from the General Administration of Coastal Security in Sirte after officers located the group on the beach as they prepared to board boats for an irregular sea crossing.
Ahrawa lies approximately 70 kilometers east of Sirte along Libya’s Mediterranean coast and has been identified as one of several departure points used by migrant smuggling networks.
Deputy Director of the General Administration of Coastal Security, Brigadier General Abdulhafiz Massoud, said the migrants were from seven different countries. The group included 15 Egyptians, 14 Djiboutians, 14 Somalis, five Sudanese, four Pakistanis, and three Bangladeshis.
Massoud confirmed that all 55 migrants were taken into custody and that legal procedures would be carried out in accordance with Libyan law. He did not disclose whether any suspected human smugglers were arrested during the operation or whether additional investigations were underway.
The interception forms part of Libya’s ongoing efforts to combat irregular migration and disrupt human smuggling networks operating along the country’s coastline. Security authorities have intensified coastal patrols and surveillance operations in recent months as they seek to prevent boats carrying migrants from departing toward Europe.
Libya remains one of the principal transit countries for migrants and refugees attempting to reach Europe through the central Mediterranean, one of the world’s busiest and most dangerous migration routes. Migrants from across Africa and Asia often travel through Libya before attempting the sea crossing with the help of smuggling networks.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 800,000 migrants were present in Libya during 2025. The organization says migrants from sub-Saharan Africa continue to represent one of the largest groups residing in or transiting through the country.
