Migrant Day: Humanitarian corridors from Libya to Italy in complete safety
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Libya remains one of the most dangerous places for migrants and asylum seekers, due to a system of arbitrary detention, the lack of official recognition of UN-mandated protection agencies, and the constant risk of arrest and abuse.
Migrants are systematically subjected to violence, exploitation and extortion, both inside and outside detention centres. These practices are part of a deliberate system of extortion for release, widely documented by UN agencies and international organisations and denounced by hundreds of survivors.
Legal and safe options for migrants seeking to leave Libya remain extremely limited, despite widespread and well-documented human rights violations against migrants and asylum seekers in the country. While the opening of a humanitarian corridor is a major initiative, it represents only a small step forward. In 2024, only 216 people were able to leave Libya through the humanitarian corridor to reach Italy. For the thousands more who continue to face violence and inhumane treatment, safe and legal pathways to protection remain out of reach. In the absence of legal alternatives, many migrants are forced to risk their lives attempting to cross the sea to reach Europe. Tragically, more than 1,500 people lost their lives in the Central Mediterranean in 2024 alone.
Governments and international institutions must step up efforts to put in place mechanisms to safely evacuate the thousands of people still trapped in Libya, and ensure their right to seek protection in Europe.
LuxOR, MSF's Luxembourg Operational Research Unit, plays a key role in supporting MSF Italy in its response to the needs of migrants, providing scientific guidance for research on their integrated approach to psychosocial assistance, aiming to document and disseminate this innovative method to other NGOs working with migrant populations.
“Over the last ten years, MSF Italy has developed an integrated approach to address the immediate psychosocial needs of migrants who have survived traumatic events, such as shipwrecks. Most of the migrants arriving on Italian shores have suffered a high level of violence and torture in Libya. Surviving a shipwreck adds a new layer of suffering to the tragedy they are already experiencing. MSF’s approach provides initial assistance to those rescued at sea, while facilitating their integration into the country’s reception network, with the aim of helping them settle into a new life. LuxOR supports MSF Italy in this response by providing scientific guidance for research on this innovative approach, which could eventually be disseminated to other NGOs working with migrants.”
Dr. Umberto Pellecchia, qualitative research consultant for LuxOR
