Privacy Policy

At the Benghazi Center for Migration and Asylum Studies, we are committed to respecting and protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal data in accordance with applicable international laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and relevant U.S. privacy regulations.

1. Who We Are

We are an independent research center dedicated to documenting, analyzing, and raising awareness about the realities of migration and asylum, with a special focus on Libya and North Africa.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this policy, please contact us at:

📧 info@benghazicenter.org

2. Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of data:

A. Information You Provide Voluntarily:

Name, email address, and other contact information submitted through contact forms or email.
Messages, testimonials, or stories shared with us intentionally.

B. Technical Information Automatically Collected:

IP address.
Browser type, device type, and operating system.
Referrer URLs, visited pages, and duration of visits.
Country or region inferred from IP.

C. Cookies and Tracking Technologies:

Session preferences.
Analytics and user behavior data through tools like Google Analytics.

3. Legal Basis for Data Processing (GDPR)

We process your data under one or more of the following legal bases:

Your explicit consent (e.g., subscribing to newsletters).
Legal obligations (e.g., compliance with law enforcement).
Our legitimate interests (e.g., security and performance improvement).
To fulfill a request or contract (e.g., contact forms).

4. How We Use the Data

We use the data we collect for the following purposes:

To respond to your inquiries and provide support.
To improve the user experience and functionality of the website.
To process and display stories or testimonials (with your permission).
To analyze performance and detect potential security threats.
To comply with applicable laws.

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell or rent your personal data to third parties. However, we may share your data in the following cases:

With trusted service providers (e.g., hosting and analytics) who agree to comply with our privacy standards.
When legally required to comply with a court order or legal process.
With your explicit and written consent.

6. Cookies

We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience. By continuing to use our site, you consent to the use of cookies unless disabled through your browser settings.

Types of Cookies Used:

Necessary cookies for proper website functionality.
Analytical cookies to monitor and improve performance.
Third-party cookies, such as embedded YouTube videos or analytics.

7. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including:

SSL encryption (HTTPS).
Access controls and secure servers.
Internal data access limitations.
Regular monitoring for potential breaches.

8. Your Rights (Under GDPR, CCPA, etc.)

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you.
Request corrections to inaccurate data.
Request deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”).
Withdraw consent at any time.
Object to certain types of processing.
Request data portability.
File a complaint with your local data protection authority.

To exercise your rights, contact us at:

📧 info@benghazicenter.org

9. Children’s Privacy

Our website is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we may have received information from a child, please contact us for immediate removal.

10. External Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Please review their policies before submitting any personal data.

11. Data Retention

We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or to comply with legal obligations.

12. Policy Updates

We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time. Updates will be posted on this page with a revised “Last Updated” date below.

Last Updated: June 1, 2025