Hundreds of Sudanese refugees held at the Qanfudha detention centre in Benghazi are reportedly facing deteriorating humanitarian conditions, according to eyewitness accounts. Witnesses said Sudanese nationals have been detained on the streets and at checkpoints before being transferred to the centre without explanation or legal process.
One former detainee said he was arrested near Sirte along with more than 40 others and later released after paying 500 Libyan dinars — about 250,000 Sudanese pounds — highlighting the growing reports of extortion within detention facilities. Conditions inside Qanfudha are described as overcrowded and unsanitary, with severe shortages of food, drinking water, and medical care.
Sources said around 400 people are crammed into a ward designed for only 50, while women, children, and the elderly are being held in conditions that violate basic human rights. Another recently released detainee from the border town of Kufra said the centre receives more than 20 Sudanese detainees daily, many of them families fleeing violence in Sudan.
He confirmed that payments are being collected from detainees in exchange for release, without any legal or judicial oversight. Al-Fadil Mahmoud Muhammad, a representative of the Sudanese community in Libya, said most detainees were arrested by the Anti-Illegal Immigration Agency for entering Libya without completing official procedures.
He added that coordination is underway with Libyan authorities to facilitate their deportation to Sudan through a voluntary return programme expected to begin in November. According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), Libya hosts about 357,000 Sudanese refugees, most residing in Kufra, Tripoli, and Benghazi.
