Police in Ajdabiya, eastern Libya, have arrested 36 undocumented migrants in a raid on a house allegedly being used for prostitution, reports SaharaReporters.
According to Migrant Rescue Watch, the operation was launched on the orders of the public prosecutor after weeks of investigation. Those arrested include 18 men and 18 women and children, all of Nigerian and Chadian origin.
Authorities said the migrants were immediately transferred to the Directorate for Combating Illegal Migration (DCIM) for processing in line with Libyan immigration laws. The DCIM, a government agency under the Ministry of Interior, is responsible for managing migrant detention and deportation procedures across the country.
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However, rights groups have repeatedly raised concerns about the conditions in these facilities. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have documented cases of overcrowding, poor sanitation, forced labor, and mistreatment in centers run by the DCIM, some of which are operated with the support of armed groups.
In recent years, Libya has become a hub for migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, with many falling prey to smugglers, traffickers, or criminal networks. The United Nations has also reported that women and children are particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse while in detention or transit.
As of 2024, at least 30 official detention centers were in operation across Libya, with children being arbitrarily held in 11 of them.
The Ajdabiya raid underscores the growing crackdown by Libyan authorities on undocumented migrants, even as international organizations continue to call for alternatives to mass detention and more humane treatment of those fleeing poverty and conflict.
