Five Nigerian migrants have been arrested by Libyan security operatives for travelling without legal documents in the Bin Jawad area of Sirte.
The arrests, carried out earlier in the week, were confirmed in a statement by Migrants Rescue Watch, a group monitoring migration issues in North Africa.
According to the group, the Nigerians were intercepted during routine road security checks.
“Authorities in Bin Jawad stopped the individuals and discovered they had no valid papers. They were immediately transferred to the appropriate agencies for further action,” the group noted in its update.
Police sources said the migrants are currently in custody and will undergo legal procedures under Libyan immigration laws.
The government added that the clampdown formed part of ongoing efforts to curb irregular migration routes often exploited by human traffickers.
Libya has over the years served as a major transit route for sub-Saharan African migrants hoping to cross the Mediterranean into Europe.
Commenting on the development, a civil rights advocate in Tripoli said: “The humanitarian situation for undocumented migrants remains troubling. Without stronger international cooperation, many of them will continue to suffer in silence.”
