Black migrants and refugees in Libya have been the victims of rising racist violence around the nation.
From March 12 to 16, a wave of raids, arrests, and attacks swept through Western Libya, targeting Black folks—including African migrants, refugees, and even Black Libyans and Tunisians. The latest outbreak of violence, amplified by inflammatory rhetoric from government officials, highlights a deepening humanitarian crisis.
Human rights groups and activists on the ground describe a pattern of systematic targeting by militias, security forces, and even civilians. In Sabratha, Janzour, and Tripoli, Black people have been forcibly detained, brutalized, and, in some cases, killed. Firsthand accounts paint a grim picture of a campaign of racial persecution carried out with the tacit approval of Libyan authorities and the silent complicity of the European Union.
A Humanitarian Crisis Unfolds
In Sabratha, militia groups and residents raided homes, arresting hundreds and leaving at least one Sudanese refugee dead. Similar actions occurred in Janzour, Al-Serraj, and Ben-Gashir, where migrants were evicted, their belongings destroyed, and landlords threatened against housing them. Witnesses in Tripoli’s districts, including Tajoura and Ghut Shaal, reported mass arrests and violent attacks by EU-trained security forces and militias.
One of the most harrowing incidents involved a pregnant woman from Niger, who was struck and killed by a car in Tarik Al-Madar on March 14. Activists believe the attack was racially motivated.
“Our comrades have documented numerous cases of sexual violence against women, alongside arbitrary arrests and forced expulsions,” said Salahadine Juma, an activist with the Alliance for Refugees in Libya. “The true scale of these atrocities is likely far worse than reported.”
Source: Libya’s Black Migrants Face Unprecedented Racist Violence Amid EU-Backed Policies
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