Libyan authorities have detained five Sudanese nationals in the country’s east and transferred them to the Qanfouda migrant detention centre in Benghazi ahead of possible deportation to Sudan, according to Sudanese media reports.
The five were detained by Libya’s Anti-Illegal Immigration authorities and are undergoing procedures connected to their expected removal from the country.
Authorities have not publicly identified the detainees or disclosed where and when they were arrested. It also remains unclear whether any of the five had sought asylum or held refugee documentation in Libya.
The case comes amid a broader crackdown on migrants and refugees in eastern Libya, where rights groups have reported large-scale arrests of Sudanese nationals in recent months.
Thousands of Sudanese have fled across the border into Libya since war erupted in Sudan in April 2023, making them one of the largest displaced communities in the country.
Rights organisations have raised concerns over the detention and potential forced return of Sudanese nationals while fighting and humanitarian insecurity continue across large parts of Sudan.
The reported deportation proceedings involving the five detainees are separate from voluntary return programmes operated by international organisations for migrants who choose to leave Libya.
No date has yet been announced for their expected return to Sudan.
