In 2011, then Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi was overthrown by a NATO backed intervention over humanitarian concerns. NATO’s intervention created a political divide between government parties in Libya – a UN backed government is situated in Tripoli, a rival administration rules in the East and there are numerous militias in-between. This enabled a power vacuum, rife with armed militias contending for power and profit. Human trafficking networks have established as a symptom of absenteeism from the lack of a unified government.
Migratory populations are blended with refugees, migrants, asylum seekers, and individuals seeking better social and economic opportunities. It includes, women, children, men, families, prior victims of trafficking, accompanied, and unaccompanied and so on. Identities and categories overlap and are not mutually exclusive. For instance, a woman could be a migrant searching for better economic opportunities, a child could be unaccompanied and a former trafficking victim, and thenceforth.
Criminal networks generate profit through a myriad of avenues. In lieu of legitimate, safe immigration routes from Africa to Europe, militia’s offer a service that desperate people cannot obtain legally. Smugglers exploit individuals throughout the entire journey. Upfront, they are paid anywhere between US $200 – $US 1,200 per person, and require to be compensated throughout each leg en route to Europe[1]. Women, men and children of all ages are expected to raise the necessary funds in transit to continue on the next leg of their journey. Additionally, migrants are expected to pay for basic necessities such as food and water. If an individual does not have the necessary funds, a family member, neighbour, or friend from their country of origin may pay[2].
Economic opportunities for migrants en route are limited. In some cases, migration packages are offered, where a smuggler promises transportation through land, sea, air or other means, as well as provisions of counterfeit documents. Once in their destination country, the individual is expected to pay back their debt with incurred interest. Nigerian victims for instance are offered a package of 50,000 – 70,000 Nigerian nair (roughly 250 euros) for transportation, including counterfeit documents, then upon arrival in Europe, the debt is converted to 50,000 – 70,000 euros which they are expected to pay back in full. Women are then forced into prostitution and eventually human trafficking networks that may last 3 years or longer[3]. In other cases, women are forced into prostitution en route as the only viable means to pay for basic necessities and pay down their debt along the way[4]. Men have been forced into labor, prostitution, or malnutrition indefinitely[5]. Victims are also subjected to torture camps where they will be brutally tortured, raped, or mutilated until they pay down their debts. Ransom will be paid by either them or a loved one, where price varies per individual. For instance, one woman’s ransom was US $15,000 since her husband and children were located in the United Kingdom[6].
As quoted by Mr.Abiker, an IOM Staff in Libya “What we know is that migrants who fall into the hands of smugglers face systematic malnutrition, sexual abuse and even murder”[7].
[1] Unicef (2017) A Deadly Journey for Children: The Central Mediterannean Route. Retrieved: https://www.unicef.org/sites/default/files/press-releases/glo-media-UN053732.pdf
[2] ibid
[3] ibid
[4] Sherwood, H (February 11, 2014) Hundreds of Eritreans Enslaved in Torture Camps in Sudan and Egypt. The Guardian. Retrieved: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/11/eritreans-enslaved-traffickers-sudan-egypt-torture-camps
[5] IOM (2017) African Migrants Reportedly Being Sold in ‘Slave Markets’ in Libya, UN Agency Warns. Retrieved: https://refugeesmigrants.un.org/fr/node/100043193
[6] Nadia Al-Dayel, Aaron Anfinson & Graeme Anfinson (2021): Captivity, Migration, and Power in Libya, Journal of Human Trafficking, DOI: 10.1080/23322705.2021.1908032
[7] IOM (2017)
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