Muriel Cravatte / SOS MEDITERRANEE
June 26 is the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. Many of the survivors SOS MEDITERRANEE rescues in the central Mediterranean are survivors of torture during their migration journey, whether in their country of origin or in countries of transit such as Libya and Tunisia, where patterns of abuse have been documented.
Marseille, 26/06/2025 – From years of conducting search and rescue operations in the Central Mediterranean, those we rescue have consistently reported experiencing unimaginable violence suffered along their migration routes. Abuse at the hands of militias, traffickers, individuals, and even state-linked actors is more common than not. survivors recount being subjected to arbitrary detention, torture, rape, sexual slavery, starvation, and forced labour. Their bodies often bear visible scars from physical abuse, while their minds carry deep psychological trauma – wounds that remain long after they escape. Despite several reports shared in recent years from prominent human rights organisations and UN bodies, supporting the testimonies of survivors in depicting a systematic cycle of violence, the situation in Libya remains unchanged and most stories unheard. Through our regular communications, we work to amplify the voices of those who have suffered and to shed light on the repeated violations of their fundamental rights.
“When I arrived in Libya with my uncle at 15 years old, the smugglers trapped us in a container. We would only receive food every three days. The jailers tortured me in front of all the others. They would put metal in the fire then make holes in my skin. As we couldn’t pay the money they were asking for, they made us work in a farm. One day, we tried to escape. As we ran off, our jailers shot at us. My uncle got shot and fell dead on the ground, and I got a bullet through my leg.”
“While held in a warehouse with 30 other people, I asked for more water so everyone could drink. A smuggler got mad and poured acid on my leg. All I could see was smoke coming from my skin. Then I could see the bone. There was barely any skin left, I could put half a finger through the hole the acid had left. They also cut my hand in two different parts. I had to sew the wounds myself, with a needle I found.”
People on the move report different type of violence and trafficking across various countries, including being sold between state actors of different countries.
Among the countries crossed by people on the move, Libya stands out for the systematic and widespread nature of violence. Extortion, torture, and forced labour operate openly in both formal and informal detention sites, often with the complicity of authorities under Libya’s divided governance. The United Nations and Amnesty International pointed out a network of collusion between smugglers, detention centre guards, and the Libyan Coast Guard. These actors operate together in impunity and in a coordinated system of exploitation.
Once on board, survivors frequently share their experiences of being abducted without cause and held in overcrowded, inhumane conditions with little food or water. After being detained, most are forced to provide a family member’s phone number. The detainee is filmed while being tortured—burned, beaten, or electrocuted—in order to pressure their relatives into sending ransom money.
“They used to melt plastic over the head and back of people. It would drop and melt their skin immediately. They filmed everything with the person’s phone so they could then send it to their family and ask for money to be released.”
In some cases, survivors have explained being kidnapped off the streets by gun-wielding civilians and imprisoned in their homes. Their abductors then opportunistically use violence to extort money from them for their release.
On the Ocean Viking, survivors also report being forced to witness the torture and rape of others – a deliberate tactic used to instill fear. Children, women, and men alike are exposed to these horrors, leaving deep and lasting psychological wounds.
The ransom amounts demanded by abductors in formal and informal detention centres range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, far beyond what most families can afford. Communities back home, already living in poverty or insecurity, are left with no other choice than to sell their land, homes, or cattle, or take on massive debts, further impoverishing them, but needed to save their loved ones. Even when the ransom is paid and the person is released, many are abducted again.
“I was severely burned and beaten for asking to use the toilet, after being prevented from doing so for several days. I also had my finger cut off during my journey.”
The cycle of abuse repeats over and over again.
Those who attempt to escape Libya by sea often face yet another layer of abuse. If intercepted and returned by the Libyan Coast Guard, they are frequently beaten more savagely than before.
In the past months, several mass graves have been found in various locations in Libya, containing bodies of migrants, some of them with gunshot wounds. The International Organisation for Migration recorded over 1,000 migrant deaths and disappearances in Libya in 2024 alone.
Libyan security forces and militias have repeatedly been accused of committing crimes against humanity. They are known to obstruct and endanger rescue operations at sea, and routinely return intercepted people to detention centres, restarting the cycle of abuse.
Yet the European Union and its member states, such as Italy, continues to support and collaborate with Libyan authorities, including by funding, training, and equipping the Libyan Coast Guard. These policies directly facilitate returns to a country that, by any legal or moral standard, cannot be considered a place of safety.
‘’I would rather die at sea than spend another day in Libya.”
Max Cavallari / SOS MEDITERRANEE
Many of the survivors SOS MEDITERRANEE rescues in the central Mediterranean are survivors of torture during their migration journey, whether in their country of origin or in countries of transit such as Libya and Tunisia, where patterns of abuse have been documented.
Despite the unimaginable suffering they have endured—torture, extortion, and dehumanization—many migrants emerging from Libya’s detention centers have shown a resilience that defies comprehension.
Their strength is not just in survival, but in the refusal to be broken by a system designed to erase their dignity. In the face of cruelty, they continue to dream of safety, of freedom, of a life where they are seen as human. Their courage is a quiet but unwavering resistance—and a reminder to the world that even in the darkest corners, hope persists.
