Nigerians in Libya lament sexual abuse, extortion, arbitrary detention
Libyan Authorities Accused of Abuse and Killings of Migrants at Borders fresh mass grave containing bodies of 65 migrants discovered
Amid reports of widespread human rights violations against migrants in Libya, the country’s authorities have been accused of escalating their crackdown on foreign nationals. Libyan operatives are said to be actively neutralizing migrants at the borders, as the Nigerian government moves to repatriate hundreds of its citizens from the North African state.
Nigerians living in Libya have shared harrowing accounts of the abuses they face at the hands of Libyan citizens and security forces. They claim that Libyan men are sexually abusing Nigerian women in public, using them for forced labor, and extorting huge sums of money for their release from arbitrary detention.
“Most male Libyans treat our ladies like animals. They sexually abuse them in public and use them for all manner of dirty works. No one dares to complain because almost everyone in Libya goes about with a gun and other dangerous weapons,” said one Nigerian national in Libya who requested anonymity.
The Nigerian government has not publicly commented on the situation, even as the United Nations has condemned the “disturbing developments” in Libya, including an escalation in arbitrary arrests, detentions, enforced disappearances, and other human rights violations against migrants and refugees.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has urged the Libyan authorities to investigate the alleged crimes, provide reparations, and ensure accountability. He stressed that the responsibility for these abuses “falls squarely with the Libyan authorities.”
The Nigerian Diaspora Commission, led by Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has remained silent on the matter, even as the Libyan government announced plans to repatriate over 400 Nigerians in a bid to reduce the number of migrants in the country.
Amid the escalating crisis, a fresh mass grave containing the bodies of at least 65 migrants was recently discovered in the Libyan desert, highlighting the deadly risks faced by those attempting to cross the Sahara. Experts say the Sahara is now more deadly for migrants than the perilous Mediterranean crossing.
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