GNV News – February 12, 2025

On February 10, 2025, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) voiced deep concern over two mass graves discovered in the desert region of southeastern Libya. These mass graves were found when police searched a human-trafficking hub. In the first grave, 19 bodies were discovered. In the second grave, at least 30 bodies were found, and the total number could reach 70. The victims’ nationalities and causes of death are under investigation, but the remains may belong to migrants and refugees, and some of the bodies reportedly have gunshot wounds.

Libya is a major transit point for migrants and refugees aiming to reach Europe from Africa and the Middle East, and many migrants face exploitation and violence along the dangerous journey. In response to this situation, Nicoletta Giordano, IOM’s Chief of Mission in Libya, emphasized the need to respect and protect the human rights of migrants exposed to severe exploitation and abuse. Furthermore, IOM is calling on the Libyan authorities to recover the bodies, identify the dead, and notify and support their families.

According to IOM’s research, of the 965 cases of migrant and refugee deaths and disappearances that occurred in Libya in 2024, more than 22% took place along land routes, where fatalities tend to be underreported. Calls are growing for international efforts to promote the protection of migrants’ human rights.

Learn more about the EU’s response to migrants and refugees → 「EU: The reality of measures for migrants and refugees crossing the Mediterranean」

Learn more about the collapse of Libya’s dictatorship and ensuing turmoil → 「Libya: The long road to peace」

チャドからリビアへ向かう難民（2018）（写真：Gerhard Holub / Wikimedia Commons［CC BY-SA 4.0］）