Libyan military officials announced Monday the detention of more than 300 migrants attempting to cross the Sahara Desert, marking an escalation in efforts to prevent Mediterranean Sea crossings to Europe.
The 444th Brigade, a powerful militia operating under the Libyan army’s authority, released images showing migrants seated in rows before masked, armed fighters. The group posted satellite imagery of desert routes on Facebook, declaring continued patrols to block smuggling operations.
Libya serves as a primary departure point for Middle Eastern and African migrants seeking European shores. UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, reports approximately 38,000 people have reached Italy and Malta from Libya this year, many fleeing war or poverty with smugglers’ assistance.
European leaders have pressed North African nations to prevent migrants from reaching the Mediterranean, where overcrowded vessels frequently capsize. However, Libya’s situation differs markedly from neighbors Morocco and Tunisia, as rival governments vie for control, complicating migration enforcement efforts.
While migrant apprehensions rarely make headlines in Libya, the state news agency LANA documented more than 2,000 arrests in July. The country has struggled with instability since a NATO-backed uprising toppled dictator Moammar Gadhafi, leaving it divided between competing eastern and western administrations, each supported by militias and international allies.
The political vacuum has enabled human trafficking networks to flourish. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk reported in July that detained migrants face torture, forced labor, and starvation in Libyan facilities.
The 444th Brigade’s latest operation underscores ongoing attempts to control migration flows through Libya’s vast desert regions, even as the country grapples with its own internal divisions and humanitarian concerns.
