Tripoli, Libya, Sept 21 – Libya has seen a sharp rise in the number of Somali migrants passing through its territory in recent months, with hundreds now reportedly stranded in detention-like conditions under the control of human trafficking networks, according to activists and social media footage.
The migrants, who had hoped to reach Europe via the perilous Central Mediterranean route, have instead fallen into the hands of traffickers—locally known as “Magafe”—who detain, abuse, and extort money from their victims’ families.
Recent videos widely circulated on Somali social media show desperate Somali men, women, and children held in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. In one especially harrowing video, a mother and her young daughter appeal tearfully for help, pleading with the Somali public and authorities to rescue them from captivity.
“They beat us, they don’t feed us properly. Please, help us,” the woman says in the footage, which sparked an outcry among Somalis both at home and in the diaspora.
Local officials warn that the situation is rapidly deteriorating, as more young Somalis attempt the journey out of desperation fueled by poverty, unemployment, and lack of opportunity back home.
Somali politicians have begun speaking out about the growing crisis, blaming the country’s worsening economic conditions and the government’s failure to create jobs and hope for the youth.
“This surge in migration is a direct result of state failure,” said one opposition MP in Mogadishu. “When a young person sees no future, they will risk everything—even slavery—to escape hopelessness.”
Despite the mounting calls for intervention, the Somali government has yet to issue an official response. Meanwhile, civil society groups continue to demand urgent action to evacuate the detainees and prevent further tragedies.
The Central Mediterranean route—one of the world’s deadliest migration corridors—has claimed thousands of lives over the past decade, with Libya serving as a key departure point for Europe-bound migrants.
