Kufra / Lille / Tripoli — Libya's Anti-Illegal Immigration Service has issued an ultimatum to businesses across the country, requiring companies, factories, and shops to regularise the employment status of their expatriate workers by the end of January 2025. This move, aimed at regulating Libya's labour market and improving its foreign labour profile, places thousands of Sudanese refugees and migrants in a precarious position.
Exemptions for Sudanese, Syrians, and Palestinians now apply only to those with official identification, leaving many undocumented Sudanese refugees fleeing war critically vulnerable.
'Deadly English Channel crossing'
Amid the mounting pressures, the plight of Sudanese refugees was underscored by a tragedy in the English Channel. On 29 December 2024, Adnan, a young Sudanese man, and several companions perished while attempting the perilous crossing to Britain.
"We lived together in Tripoli," an eyewitness told Radio Dabanga. "I tried to talk him out of it, but he was determined to take the chance."
Reports state that their bodies remain in a morgue in Lille, France, as the grim incident reignites calls to curb illegal migration.
'Mounting risks'
Malik El Dijawi, a Libyan advocate for Sudanese migrant and refugee communities, reported increasing dangers for Sudanese refugees, highlighting incidents of stranded families in Libya's southeastern Kufra desert, a key crossing point for those entering from Sudan's border.
He urged Sudanese authorities to restart anti-migration programmes and provide alternatives to prevent such tragedies.
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As previously reported by Dabanga, Kufra has seen rental prices triple, reaching up to 2,000 Libyan Dinars per month, alongside surging food and fuel costs and widespread shortages.
With a population of just 60,000, the town is ill-equipped to handle the growing influx of refugees.
Humanitarian aid
In December last year, the Libyan Relief and Humanitarian Aid Authority, in partnership with the World Food Programme, launched a food aid programme for over 3,300 Sudanese refugee families across Libyan cities.
Since the war began in April 2023, at least 100,000 refugees have fled to Libya, according to UNHCR estimates. While the initiative aims to ease their suffering, plummeting temperatures and storms have worsened conditions for displaced families, particularly in areas like Kufra.
