The discovery of mass graves in Libya, where dozens of migrants’ bodies have been unearthed—some with gunshot wounds—has once again exposed the brutal conditions faced by those trapped in the country’s detention system. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has called for an urgent investigation into the killings, but the larger picture remains unchanged.

This is not an isolated incident. It is part of a longstanding pattern of disappearances, torture, and executions in Libya, a country where migrants and refugees have become collateral damage in a system worsened by European migration policies. The timing of this latest revelation is particularly damning—just weeks after Italy helped a wanted Libyan official, accused of crimes against humanity, evade arrest.

A deadly pattern of abuse

The graves were found in Jakharrah, about 400 kilometers south of Benghazi, and in Kufra, a desert region where authorities believe as many as 70 bodies could be buried. Some of the victims had been shot, confirming previous reports of extrajudicial killings of migrants in Libya.

According to Al Jazeera,

“Migrants and asylum seekers, including children, arbitrarily detained in facilities controlled by armed groups affiliated with both governments or smugglers and traffickers, suffered inhumane conditions, torture, forced labor, and sexual assault.”

Last year, a similar mass grave was uncovered in Shuayrif, where the bodies of at least 65 migrants were found. The IOM has documented more than 965 recorded migrant deaths in Libya in 2024 alone, but the real number is likely far higher. Many of those who die in Libya’s detention system or on its dangerous land routes are never accounted for.

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