In 2025’s first quarter, a recent report by the Mixed Migration Centre, an arm of the International Organization for Migration, unveiled a notable shift: a 25% quarterly decrease in the number of migrants embarking from Libyan shores towards Europe. Despite this discernible dip in departure rates, Libyan territory continues to receive and host an increasing influx of irregular migrants and refugees.
According to the numerical data, Italian coastlines received approximately 9,168 migrants during the initial three months of the current year, the vast majority – nearly 8,500 individuals – having set sail from Libya’s beaches. Conversely, within Libya’s borders, there’s a steady climb in the number of individuals holding refugee or asylum seeker status.
Statistics indicate the registration of 88,283 refugees within the nation since the commencement of 2025, reflecting a 12% surge compared to the final quarter of 2024. A significant portion of this escalation can be attributed to the ongoing repercussions of the conflict raging in Sudan, which has triggered the displacement of hundreds of thousands. Since the eruption of the Sudanese civil war in April 2023, close to a quarter of a million Sudanese have sought refuge in Libya.
Sudanese nationals now spearhead the list of originating countries for refugees present in Libya, constituting 29% of the total refugee population. Following them in the ranking are other nationalities such as Nigeriens (23%), Egyptians (20%), Chadians (10%), and Nigerians (4%). Data from the IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix illustrates that the total count of migrants present in Libya reached approximately 824,131 individuals by December 2024, marking a 17% increase compared to the preceding year. The majority of these migrants are concentrated in Libya’s western region (53%), followed by the eastern region (34%), and then the southern region (13%).