Migrants Allege Kidnapping and Abuse in Libya
More than 300 migrants from Iraq's Kurdistan region were allegedly kidnapped and subjected to severe abuse in Libya while attempting to reach the United Kingdom, according to testimonies from former captives and information gathered during a recent investigation. The migrants, most of them young men, were reportedly detained by an armed group after arriving in Libya during the summer of 2025. Families were later contacted and ordered to pay ransom demands of $5,000 for each captive. Relatives who failed to make prompt payments were allegedly threatened with the removal of their loved ones' organs. Several former hostages who have since returned home described months of captivity under harsh conditions. They reported being held in overcrowded cells, suffering physical abuse, and receiving minimal food and medical care. Some of the released migrants showed scars and injuries they said resulted from torture […]
