Police in the eastern Libyan city of Ajdabiya have raided a residential property allegedly used for prostitution involving undocumented migrants, arresting 36 people of Nigerian and Chadian nationality.
According to Migrant Rescue Watch, the raid was carried out on the orders of the public prosecutor following an investigation. Authorities detained 18 men and 18 women, including children, during the operation.
All those arrested were transferred to the Directorate for Combating Illegal Migration (DCIM) to undergo legal processing in line with Libyan immigration laws. The DCIM, an agency under the Ministry of Interior, manages migrant detention facilities across the country, many of which have faced criticism from rights groups for harsh conditions.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have previously documented widespread abuses in Libyan detention centres, including overcrowding, poor sanitation, forced labour, and physical mistreatment. Children are among those frequently held in such facilities. In 2024, reports indicated that DCIM operated at least 30 official detention sites, with minors arbitrarily detained in 11 of them.
Libya has become a major transit hub for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa attempting to reach Europe, but many are intercepted and detained under agreements between Libyan authorities and European governments. The latest arrests underscore the continuing vulnerability of undocumented migrants in the country, who often fall victim to exploitation and trafficking.
