Abdullah Suleiman, spokesperson for the municipality of Kufra, stated that the number of documented Sudanese refugees has reached 40,000, excluding those who enter Libya without being registered. Suleiman, in a statement to Reuters, highlighted that the humanitarian conditions faced by the Sudanese refugees are extremely difficult, pointing out the lack of adequate support from both local and international organizations.
In a related context, Muftah al-Sharwi, head of the Relations Unit at the Illegal Immigration Agency in Tobruk, noted that previously there was almost no movement of Sudanese refugees entering through Egyptian territory. However, this has increased recently due to factors including Egypt’s economic situation and the deteriorating financial conditions of the Sudanese from the prolonged war in their country, leading many to migrate to Libyan territories because they could no longer afford living expenses in Egypt.
Al-Sharwi estimated to Reuters that between March and late August, about 2,000 refugees, mostly families holding asylum cards, have arrived in Libya. Despite Libya being a major departure point for illegal migration to Europe, al-Sharwi clarified that the proportion of Sudanese willing to undertake this perilous journey is negligible.
Al-Sharwi added, “They have no ambition to migrate to Europe; for them, Libya is like Europe. They are fleeing wars and see Libya as a nurturing environment where they can live and work without language barriers.”
He continued, explaining that the Illegal Immigration Agency coordinates with relevant authorities in the city of Emsaed to gather Sudanese refugees and send them to its shelters, providing food and medical care to prevent exploitation by human traffickers. The agency also collaborates with the Sudanese community to provide housing for families to protect them from human traffickers.
