Libya refugee crisis: Women dead at migration detention center

A video of a room inside the Abu Salim detention center in Tripoli, the capital and largest city of Libya, has gone viral on social media. A woman can be seen lying dead on the floor of the detention center, showing the glimpse of the situations faced by refugees in Libya.

The video was shared to the British daily newspaper The Guardian by a group of people who arrived in Tunisia from Libya. In the video clip, hundreds of female asylum seekers can be seen lying together on beds. A woman from Nigeria was crying and calling the facility a “prison.”

A woman lying dead on floor

The 30 second video clip highlighted Libya’s refugee crisis. In the video, a woman can also be seen lying dead on the ground. A voice can be heard saying, “This woman is dead. She died this morning.”

The woman appeared malnourished and unclothed. Her eyes were open and her body was not moving. The woman lying dead at the migration detention center in Libya showcased the sufferings faced by migrants and refugees. 

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, confirmed the authenticity of the viral video. A source from the United Nations said that the video was filmed at Abu Salim detention center. The source revealed that the woman was from Somalia and may have died from tuberculosis.

According to The Guardian, various asylum seekers detained at Abu Salim detention center have been suffering after contracting the disease. The rooms are crowded and lack basic medical care. 

A migrant reportedly told The Guardian, “The only way to leave Abu Salim is by paying a ransom of $1,000.” Another female asylum seeker said, “There is no other way out of Abu Salim. That place is hell.”

The organization Refugees in Libya reportedly started investigating the case. A spokesperson said, “We are trying to find out who this woman was.”

Violence towards refugees

In recent years, various NGOs have reported repeated incidents of violence against refugees, including women, at the detention centers across Libya. In June 2021, automatic weapons were fired at detainees, leading to deaths of migrants. 

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said that the guards beat detainees, including people seeking treatment from MSF teams. The migrants faced fractures, bruises, cuts and blunt trauma because of the beatings.

Last week, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said that the group would end medical activities by the end of 2023 in Tripoli.