A migrant rights group reported that security authorities in eastern Libyaconducted an overnight raid, resulting in the liberation of at least 385Pakistani migrants who were being held captive in trafficking warehouses.
The group, Al-Abreen, which provides assistance to migrants in Libya,stated that the Pakistanis were released in the early hours of Monday fromsmugglers’ warehouses located in the Al-Khueir area, situated about 5 miles(8 kilometers) south of Tobruk, a city in eastern Libya. The rescuedmigrants, including children, were subsequently taken to a nearby policeheadquarters.
According to Esreiwa Salah, an activist associated with Al-Abreen, thePakistani migrants had originally intended to journey to Europe but weredetained by smugglers who demanded a ransom for their release. However, nofurther details about the situation were disclosed.
Photographs shared on Al-Abreen’s official Facebook page displayed numerousPakistani migrants, presumably those who had been freed, gathered outsideone of the warehouses.
Libya has become a prominent transit point for migrants from Africa and theMiddle East attempting to reach Europe. The country’s state of instabilityresulted from a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 that led to the toppling anddeath of Muammar Qaddafi, the longtime autocrat. Since then, Libya has beenunder the rule of rival governments in the eastern and western regions,each backed by various militias and foreign entities.
Read Top Stories
During the past decade of turmoil, human traffickers have exploited thechaotic conditions, facilitating the illegal movement of migrants acrossborders, including those from Egypt, Algeria, and Sudan. These traffickerscram desperate migrants seeking a better life in Europe onto ill-equippedrubber boats and other vessels, subjecting them to perilous voyages on theCentral Mediterranean Sea route.
In June, a tragic incident occurred when a vessel carrying an estimated 700migrants, including about 350 Pakistanis, sank off the Greek coast. Only104 people were rescued, among them 12 Pakistanis.
