Libya Deports Hundreds of Sudanese Migrants Amid Crackdown on Trafficking Routes

Authorities in eastern Libya have announced over the weekend that they have deported 700 Sudanese migrants back to their conflict-ridden homeland as part of a sweeping campaign against illegal migration and human trafficking.

The deportees,some of whom were reported to have infectious diseases or criminal records,were sent by land to Sudan. This crackdown,led by forces loyal to eastern military commander Khalifa Hifter,also includes raids on trafficking hubs. A recent operation in Ajdabiya freed over 100 Sudanese,including women and children,held in captivity by traffickers.

Libya,a key transit country for migrants fleeing poverty and war in Africa and the Middle East,has become increasingly unstable since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. With rival governments and militias controlling different regions,human traffickers have exploited the chaos. Thousands of Sudanese have sought refuge in Libya since war erupted in Sudan in April 2023,adding to the estimated 240,000 Sudanese migrants in the country. The deportations raise urgent humanitarian concerns as many are sent back to a nation still engulfed in violence.