Victims exploited in Libya

Between 2005 and 2022, the IOM registered 2,826 victims of trafficking who had been exploited in Libya.^[1] 70 per cent of these victims were registered between 2020 and 2022.

Among victims exploited in Libya, 48 per cent are female, and 52 per cent are male.^[2] Also, 87 per cent of them are adults, and 13 per cent are children. Identified victims between 21 and 29 years of age constitute around 50 per cent of the total. Male victims are overall slightly older than females.

The main countries of citizenship are Nigeria (61%), Sudan (10%), and Somalia (9%). Overall, these victims originate in Africa (97%) and Asia (3%), and most of them (90%) are being exploited outside their sub-region of origin.^[3]

52 per cent of victims exploited in Libya are trafficked for forced labour, and 21 per cent are trafficked for sexual exploitation. 39 per cent report other types of exploitation, such as forced marriage, forced military, organ removal, and slavery and related practices.^[4] 42 per cent of these victims have been trafficked for more than two years.

In Libya, the most common sector of labour exploitation is domestic work (72%), followed by construction (7%), agriculture and hospitality (5% each). Among sexually exploited victims, the most common sector of exploitation is prostitution.

The most common means of control are psychological, physical and sexual abuse (88%), restrictions of finance, movements, medical care and necessities (73%), and threats to the victim or their family (63%).^[4] Almost all victims are recruited by ‘others’.^[5]

^[1] This country profile is based on the data collected by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the process of providing assistance and protection services to victims of trafficking.

^[2] The IOM acknowledge diverse gender identities and expressions among trafficking victims. However, sex assigned at birth is used for this data analysis unless otherwise indicated. This is to ensure consistency with initial data collection forms, which lacked fields for diverse identities. Also, the disclosure of smaller subsets of victims with diverse gender identities increases data protection risks due to the potential identification of individual cases.

^[3] Interregional trafficking involves victims trafficked outside their region of origin, while intraregional trafficking occurs within their region of origin. For the list of regions and subregions, refer to the Global Synthetic Dataset Dictionary.

^[4] It is important to note that trafficked persons can be subjected to multiple types of exploitation and means of control, so percentages may not add up to 100.

^[5] Indicates a notable relationship with the recruiter that does not fit other categories like family or friends. This may include brokers, contractors, employers, or smugglers. See the Global Synthetic Dataset Codebook for a detailed explanation.