More than 200 migrants have been rescued in southeastern Libya after authorities discovered a hidden underground detention facility in the town of Kufra. Security officials said those held faced inhumane conditions that violated basic standards of care.
The raid was conducted by intelligence-led security units targeting a compound being used as a makeshift prison. Officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said the facility was not authorised and had been operating in secret.
Investigators said the site contained several holding areas dug nearly three metres below the surface. Each section confined groups of migrants for extended periods, with little access to food, water, or medical care.
Authorities said a Libyan national suspected of human trafficking was believed to be behind the site, though the individual was not present at the time of the raid and has yet to be arrested. Investigations are ongoing to identify those responsible and determine whether the facility was part of a wider trafficking network in the region.
“One security official said some of the people found at the site had been held in the underground cells for as long as two years, adding that many showed signs of prolonged confinement.
“Some of the migrants had been detained in these underground cells for up to two years,” the security official said.
Another official described the raid as one of the most serious cases uncovered in the area. They said the findings highlight severe abuse of migrants attempting to travel through Libya toward Europe. Both officials declined to be named due to media restrictions.
The rescued migrants included women and children, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, with large numbers coming from Somalia and Eritrea.
Kufra, situated roughly 1,700 kilometres southeast of Tripoli, has long been a key transit point for migrants crossing the Sahara en route to Libya’s northern coast and the Mediterranean.
The discovery comes amid a series of troubling incidents in eastern Libya. About a week prior, authorities found at least 21 bodies believed to be migrants in a mass grave in the same region.
Two officials told Reuters that in separate cases, up to ten survivors showed visible signs of torture, pointing to a pattern of abuse associated with trafficking operations.
Authorities said similar cases have occurred before. In February, 39 bodies were recovered from 55 mass graves around Kufra. Officials said these repeated discoveries reveal ongoing criminal activity targeting migrants in areas with limited government oversight.
The situation has been complicated by the arrival of Sudanese refugees fleeing violence since 2023. Tens of thousands have crossed into southeastern Libya seeking safety, placing additional pressure on local resources and security forces.
Officials said the movement of large populations has made monitoring migration routes and preventing trafficking more challenging.
International human rights groups have repeatedly warned that migrants in Libya face detention without legal safeguards, abuse, and forced labour. They urge authorities to hold traffickers accountable and protect vulnerable populations.
Libyan authorities said the rescued migrants were transferred to care centres where they are receiving medical attention and support. Details about their future status or potential return to their home countries have not yet been disclosed.
