Eastern Libya’s migrant routes: A deadly economy fuelled by smuggling networks

Series : The Root Causes of Migration 

In recent weeks, eastern Libya has seen a sharp rise in the discovery of migrant bodies, alongside an increase in departures along what is known as the “Tobruk route.” This trend highlights how migration flows toward Europe are increasingly shaped by shifting enforcement pressures and a growing, highly profitable smuggling economy. In an interview, researcher Tarek Lamloum argues that these deaths are not accidental but closely tied to an expanding and organized human trafficking system operating in the region.

Migrants silhouetted at sunset along the routes leading through eastern Libya toward Europe (CC picture, Pexels)

Lamloum explains that eastern Libya has become a key departure hub since 2019, when armed forces under Khalifa Haftar consolidated control over the area, including border crossings and airports. This control, combined with weak governance and the presence of armed groups, created conditions where smuggling networks could operate more openly. Over time, previously inactive coastal towns like Tobruk and Derna became major launching points for migrant boats, as routes shifted away from western Libya due to stronger EU-backed patrols in the Mediterranean.

The interview highlights how migration in eastern Libya is no longer just a transit movement but a full economic system. Smuggling networks are embedded in local economies, involving not only traffickers but also workers, property owners, and small businesses that profit from migrant presence. At the same time, migrants face dangerous sea crossings in overcrowded wooden or inflatable boats, often leading to shipwrecks and deaths, particularly among sub-Saharan Africans and Sudanese nationals.

Overall, Lamloum warns that the system is self-reinforcing: the high financial gains from trafficking encourage its continuation and expansion, while increased border enforcement elsewhere simply redirects flows toward more dangerous and less monitored routes like the one through eastern Libya to Crete.

The full report can be found here :

https://www.infomigrants.net/en/post/71398/in-eastern-libya-the-financial-profits-generated-by-migrant-trafficking-are-very-significant