Sudanese in Libya: Trapped Between a Bleeding Homeland and Exile Marked by Fear and Death

Sudan Media Forum

Cairo, June 7, 2026 – Editorial Desk
Disturbing and deeply inhumane scenes have flooded social media platforms in recent weeks, showing Sudanese nationals and other foreigners in Libyan cities being chased through public squares, streets, workplaces, and even their homes. The incidents have involved threats, physical assaults, derogatory insults, and demands that they leave the country.

From inside the notorious “Prison 71” in the Mediterranean coastal city of Tobruk, in northeastern Libya, a young Sudanese detainee shared his testimony. Twenty-five-year-old S.A. is being held alongside dozens of Sudanese youths and a small number of Egyptians in an overcrowded cell that he managed to film. Although the video was brief, it conveyed the grim reality of the conditions in which detainees spend periods ranging from one month to as long as two years. It is an environment where the smell of sweat and filthy toilets mingles with despair and the loss of hope.

Sudanese and Journalists Facing Hate Campaigns

Sudanese nationals in Libya have periodically been subjected to anti-foreigner campaigns alongside migrants of other nationalities. These campaigns stem from growing hostility among segments of Libyan society that oppose the presence of migrants and call for their deportation. Recently, this hostility has intensified, placing thousands of Sudanese in increasingly dangerous circumstances and making it difficult for many to live safely.

During the first week of June, demonstrations were organized in several Libyan cities calling for the closure of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) offices and an end to asylum procedures. At the same time, social media platforms became saturated with anti-foreigner rhetoric and demands for the expulsion of migrants, including those legally employed in the country.

Videos circulated online showed Sudanese nationals being subjected to direct violence in public spaces, causing many to remain confined to their homes in several cities, unable even to meet basic daily needs. All of this has unfolded amid a complete absence of effective support from Sudan’s diplomatic mission.

A Sudanese journalist told Sudan Tribune that fear and insecurity had reached alarming levels, preventing her and her family from leaving their home.

“The embassy has not contacted Sudanese nationals or checked on their conditions,” she said.

The Sudanese Journalists Syndicate issued two consecutive statements expressing concern over the situation of Sudanese journalists stranded in Libya. According to the syndicate, there are currently 39 Sudanese journalists in Libya, including 16 women journalists.

In a subsequent statement, the syndicate reported that eight journalists had experienced violations within a single week, including threats, insults, incitement, and discrimination in accessing essential services, including the purchase of basic necessities. One journalist reported being forced to relocate with his family after receiving threats.

Escaping Danger by Embracing Greater Risks

For many Sudanese, the journey to Libya itself is fraught with danger. The route often involves crossing vast deserts where dozens have perished from thirst and disorientation. For others, Libya becomes a gateway to Europe, leading them onto overcrowded boats across the Mediterranean Sea, where countless migrants have drowned.

Despite these risks, the United Nations estimates that more than 590,000 Sudanese have fled to Libya since the outbreak of war in April 2023. As of April 2026, approximately 91,000 Sudanese were registered with UNHCR.

Sudanese constitute the largest migrant nationality in Libya, accounting for 36 percent of the countrys estimated 936,000 migrants at the beginning of 2026, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Testimony from Inside “Prison 71”

Describing conditions inside the detention center, S.A. said “As you can see, we are packed together shoulder to shoulder. We share blankets when we sleep, and our bodies are pressed against one another.”

A toilet sits in the middle of the room. Although the footage was dark, it clearly revealed the appalling sanitary conditions.

“In this bathroom, just a few centimeters from where we lay our heads, we relieve ourselves and drink from taps that provide salty water. Each day we receive a piece of bread and a triangle of processed cheese.”

According to S.A., many of his fellow Sudanese detainees were arrested after entering Libya from Egypt.

“I came to Libya through smugglers in search of work. We were arrested along with other young men immediately after crossing the Libyan border. There are around sixty Sudanese girls being held in this prison as well. The Sudanese authorities have done nothing about what is happening to us. Even the Sudanese smuggler who brought us here and took our money has remained silent”. S.A. is currently waiting for his family to send 1,000 Libyan dinars to secure his release.

“The prison guards told us that we must pay this amount in order to leave. They said the money is for obtaining a health card and regularizing our status, after which we would be allowed to work legally.”

Information gathered about Prison 71 indicates that it is not an official prison but rather a detention facility operated by the 71st Border Guard Unit and designated for holding undocumented migrants. Media reports have documented testimonies from detainees of various nationalities describing abuses and extortion practices.

A spokesperson for the Interior Ministry branch in Ajdabiya, northern Libya, stated in a verified video recording that undocumented migrants arrested by authorities are transferred to the Ajdabiya Judicial Branch, where legal procedures are initiated for their deportation to their countries of origin. He made no exception for Sudanese nationals despite the ongoing war in Sudan.

The spokesperson also confirmed the existence of an intensive security campaign targeting undocumented workers.

He revealed that 31 Sudanese nationals were detained in Ajdabiya during May 2026 and are scheduled for deportation. Of these, 24 were classified as infected with diseases. While he did not specify individual diagnoses, he stated that detainees from various nationalities had been found to suffer from tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, and HIV/AIDS—an indication of deteriorating health conditions among migrant populations.

Why the Surge in Anti-Migrant Sentiment?

The Sudanese presence in Libya is not new. Sudanese workers have been migrating to Libya for decades, fostering long-standing historical and social ties between the two peoples. Migration was once relatively organized and primarily employment-driven.

However, Sudan’s ongoing war has forced tens of thousands to seek refuge in Libya - a country already grappling with economic, political, and security challenges. Many Libyans now perceive these refugee flows as an additional burden on housing, public services, and employment opportunities.

The situation has been exacerbated by misinformation portraying Sudanese migrants as a potential security threat. Claims have also circulated alleging that UNHCR intends to permanently resettle Sudanese refugees in Libya, fueling fears of demographic change. UNHCR has publicly denied these allegations.

Risking Death in Search of a Dignified Life

Twenty-four-year-old Bakri has spent much of his life moving from one displacement crisis to another.

Originally from Wadi Salih in Darfur, he fled with his mother and siblings to Khartoum as a child after losing his father during fighting in the region. He believed Khartoum would offer stability until war erupted there in 2023, forcing the family to flee again, this time on foot to Gezira State.

Their stay in Gezira was short-lived as the conflict spread there as well.

Bakri later traveled to Egypt aboard a pickup truck, only to encounter new uncertainties - residency restrictions, fears of detention and deportation, and limited access to employment and education.

Like many young Sudanese facing shrinking opportunities, he began considering migration to Europe through Libya.

“I want to go to Libya despite the risks,” Bakri said. “I see no other future. Either I find a dignified life in Europe, where human rights may be respected, or I die trying to achieve my dream.”

After sharing his story, Bakri departed for Libya. Today, his fate remains unknown. He may be among those being chased through the streets, confined to a house, detained in a prison, or perhaps already at sea, facing an uncertain destiny between survival and death.

The Deadly Mediterranean Route

There are no precise statistics on the number of Sudanese who have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean. However, given that Sudanese constitute the largest migrant group in Libya and based on major incidents documented by international organizations and media outlets, dozens—if not hundreds—of Sudanese are believed to have perished in recent years.

In September 2025, approximately 50 Sudanese refugees died when a boat sank off the coast of Tobruk. UNHCR also reported the sinking of another vessel carrying 74 people, most of them Sudanese.

According to United Nations estimates, more than 600 migrants died in the Mediterranean during the first months of 2026 alone.

The International Organization for Migration has likewise recorded hundreds of deaths and disappearances each year along the Central Mediterranean route departing from Libya. Between January and September 2025, nearly 900 people were reported dead or missing during attempted sea crossings.

Trapped Between War and Rejection

Driven from their homeland by war and pursued by waves of hostility in their country of refuge, thousands of Sudanese in Libya now find themselves trapped in a narrow space between fear and uncertainty.

Having survived bombardment, violence, and displacement in a war they did not choose, many now face a new struggle—for dignity, safety, and the fundamental right to life. Their options are limited to closed borders, detention centers, or a sea that has already swallowed countless dreams.

All of this unfolds amid the absence of meaningful action by Sudanese authorities and the apparent indifference of the international community.

• The Sudan Media Forum and its member organizations publish this report, prepared by the Editorial Desk, to shed light on the recent anti-foreigner campaigns targeting Sudanese nationals in Libya. Thousands who fled the horrors of war in search of safety, employment, and a dignified life now face systematic hostility, threats to their security, and, in many cases, detention. For many, desperation has become so profound that the perilous journey across the Mediterranean appears to be the only remaining path forward.