Press Note
East Libya
Source by:- Sky news Hub
24 December 2025
‘This is Europe’s Problem :- The migrants stuck in East Libya’s detetion centers
General Haddad, the top military commander in western Libya, was crucial to ongoing UN-backed efforts to unify the country’s military, which has split.
Libya itself is split, with rival administrations in the east and west, after the nation descended into anarchy following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011.
Mr Dbeibeh runs the internationally-recognised Tripoli-based government in the west, while former Gaddafi commander Khalifa Haftar runs a military dictatorship in the east.
‘Desperate’ migrants in Libyan detention centre
“This is not our problem,” General Salah Al Khifify, head of the East Libyan Anti-Illegal Migration Department, tells us.
“This is Europe’s problem, but it is us who are left to deal with it. We cannot do it all on our own.”
‘This is Europe’s problem,’ says General Salah Al Khifify
The detention centres
While being shown round the region’s immigration detention centres near Benghazi, we’re escorted by a large group of officers, so it’s hard to say how comfortable the detainees feel talking.
Several tell us they don’t get enough food or water and how the rooms are overcrowded.
And there’s little oversight on safety, hygiene and human rights in the detention centres, although several speak openly about torture and abuse suffered en route.
Children are among those held in the detention centres
Several of the women have children and say they’ve been raped by smugglers.
One young woman from Eritrea tells us she was worried about being left pregnant by her rapist.
“I’m not pregnant, but I don’t know yet about HIV. They’re still waiting to tell me,” she says, motioning towards the guards.
Her face covered in tears, she says: “Every girl here has tales of sex or something.”
In the men’s section, they too complain about lack of food.
“We want to go to Europe. We want to work,” says a Nigerian man called Francis.
“We can’t stay in Libya. They don’t like us here.”
They all seem to agree they don’t feel safe.
“No, it’s not safe here,” one man from Ghana says. “It’s not safe at all. We are locked up all day here. We can’t get out.”
Two Nigerians accused of people smuggling are brought before us.
“They say we are buying and selling,” one tells us.
“Buying and selling what?” I ask.
“Women,” comes the reply.
The Nigerian men accused of people-smuggling
They insist they’ve been set up.
It’s impossible to know in the short time we are allowed inside what the truth is, but the detainees have no access to lawyers or family.
None we speak to know how long they will be left inside and several say they have been moved around several detention centres for multiple months.
Francis said he’d been held for nearly a year.
The centre’s management tells us the detainees are typically held at the Benghazi centre for an average of one or two months.
But several of the detainees seem to contradict this.
East Libya open for business
The East Libyan authorities tell us the lack of co-operation from neighbouring countries and Europe is inhibiting their effectiveness.
“It’s difficult to arrange repatriation flights,” one officer explained. “With countries just refusing to accept their citizens back or spend money on flights.”
It’s clear they also want to tell the world they are open for business.
General Khalifa Haftar’s regime in East Libya wants European support on migration
Commanders and officials repeatedly tell us how they want EU funding to help stem the flow of illegal migration.
That includes agreements, financial and technical help and official political recognition – just like those afforded to their rivals in the west of the country.
Most migrants we’ve spoken to have come from Sudan, but the statistics show there are many coming from Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Egypt and as far afield as Bangladesh.
Migrant routes from Sudan to Greece
General Al Khifify says East Libyan authorities are stopping 80% of illegal migration, but “the people travelling here do not want to stay in Libya”.
“They want to go to Europe – to Greece, Italy, UK,” he says. “We need Europe to do its part to help.”
What’s left unsaid and hangs in every conversation we have is how much higher the illegal migration flows to Europe might be if authorities do not interrupt smugglers.
There are rival administrations in the east and west of Libya. West Libya’s government is internationally recognised
Migrants ‘treated with dignity’
Responding to our report on behalf of the East Libyan authorities, Lt Gen Essam Mohammed Abu Zariba said the detention centres “operate in accordance with the laws and regulations in force”.
“We are keen to ensure that no legal violations or human-rights abuses occur inside these centres, and we affirm that all residents there – who are irregular migrants – are treated in a manner befitting human dignity,” he said.
“Nevertheless, we do not rule out the possibility that there may be individual violations by some members,” he added.
“If such acts occur, they do not represent the ministry’s approach, and those responsible are fully subject to legal accountability once the charges against them are proven.”
RNI:- MPBIL/25/A1465
Devashish Tokekar
VANDE Bharat live tv news Nagpur
Editor/Reporter/Journalist
Indian Council of press,Nagpur
Journalist Cell
All India Media Association
Nagpur District President
Delhi Crime Press
AD.Associate /Reporter
Contact no.
9422428110/9146095536
Head office:- plot no 18/19, flat no. 201,Harmony emporise, Payal -pallavi society new Manish Nagar somalwada nagpur – 440015
