Testimonies of migrants from inside detention centers in Libya: 14 months without sunlight

In the absence of transparency and oversight of migrant detention centers in Libya. Field testimonies remain an essential tool for understanding what happens behind the walls. These testimonies are not only issued by international organizations It comes from the migrants themselves, who lived the conditions of detention and abuse moment by moment.

A young man from Guinea who was detained in a detention center in Zawiya. West Libya. saying: “I didn’t go outside for 14 months. We didn’t have enough food. We were beaten if we talked. No one told me why I was being held or when I would be released.”

A migrant from Eritrea added: “They were demanding ransom from my family over the phone… We could hear screaming in the neighboring cells. We don’t know if it’s from torture or something worse.”

These testimonies from inside Libya’s detention centers show the extent of the suffering and abuse that migrants endure. Documenting these experiences should be at the core of any organization working on migration and justice. It is the basis for any real reform.