In the UN Secretary-General’s Report on Libya, published on 6 April, Antonio Gutress said he is ‘deeply concerned by the situation of migrants and refugees in Libya and reports of informal detention centres, mass graves and fatalities linked to trafficking and smuggling networks.’
He urged Libyan security institutions and other competent authorities to take immediate and decisive action to dismantle trafficking networks, close informal detention centres and hold perpetrators accountable. He added that enhanced cooperation between Libyan authorities and international partners will improve institutional mechanisms for the protection of migrants and refugees and expand pathways for safe and dignified return. Protection and respect for human rights must remain at the centre of migration management efforts. Many migrants and refugees in detention facilities remained without protection or medical care, amid continued reports of severe overcrowding, abuse and life-threatening conditions.
On 23 April, the Libyan Red Crescent said it had rescued 404 migrants from 10 boats after they encountered difficult conditions at sea off the eastern city of Tubruq. From 19 to 25 April 2026, 788 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya. There are 781 dead or missing migrants on the Central Mediterranean route in 2026 so far.
The Libyan security forces, especially in eastern Libya, continued to crackdown on migrants and smugglers, with forced returns a regular occurrence. This week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Sudan expressed its concern regarding reports of its citizens being subjected to violations and forced deportations in Libya, amid information indicating arbitrary arrests and ill-treatment. It confirmed receiving ‘credible’ reports of these violations, noting that a group of citizens, including women, children, and students, were returned to the country after enduring harsh conditions. It announced the commencement of diplomatic efforts and high-level contacts with Libyan authorities, along with the formation of a team to address the issue through official channels.
There were also several IOM Voluntary Humanitarian Return flights this week.
Guterres also called upon the international community to scale up funding for the 2026 Sudan Refugee Response Plan to enable the delivery of urgent humanitarian aid to refugees and assistance to host communities. He noted that humanitarian partners projected that the population of Sudanese refugees and third-country nationals in Libya could reach up to 597,000 by the end of 2026, alongside an estimated 70,000 host community members requiring targeted assistance. By 24 March, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had registered 111,359 refugees in Tripoli, including 91,568 Sudanese, while the total Sudanese refugee population in the country was estimated at 554,937. Women and children accounted for 62 per cent of the Sudanese refugees in Libya, including 24 per cent school-aged children.
Guterres’ report said that heightened military tensions and border closures between Egypt, Libya and the Sudan have significantly reduced movements through traditional crossings in the Uwaynat triangle in recent months, forcing refugees and migrants to use longer and more dangerous routes through Qatrun and Umm al-Aranib in southern Libya. Approximately 70 arrivals were recorded daily along these routes, with onward movements to Sabha averaging 40 per day. Movements towards the country’s coastal areas continued, alongside entries at a smaller scale from Egypt into eastern Libya.