InfoMigrants: At least 45 bodies of migrants were found on the coast of eastern Libya in April and more than 600 people intercepted off the coast of Tobruk, indicating an increase in the departure of migrant boats from this area. What do you think explains this increase?

Tarek Lamloum: There has been a real green light given to smugglers, particularly in eastern Libya, where trafficking has grown in recent years.

The starting point dates back to 2019, when the forces of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar took control of eastern Libya [after having tried, in vain, to seize Tripoli -- in the west of the country -- in 2019, the soldier declared in April 2020 the transfer of power to his self-proclaimed army, saying he had "accepted the will of the people and their mandate," editor's note].

These forces began to control entry points into the country such as airports. Syrians, Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis were allowed to enter through Benghazi airport on three-month work visas. Their objective was then to take to the sea. It was at this time that the cities of Tobruk and Derna, in eastern Libya, experienced an increase in migrant departures.

Some cities and regions that were not previously departure points for migrants have become so in recent years. Migrants now leave, for example, from Benghazi, or from Soulouq, a village located not too far from Benghazi. This is an area called Al-Brega, an oil region where oil companies are located and the installations are monitored by aerial means.

These areas are controlled by the forces of the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the Tariq ibn Ziyad brigade [two armed groups under the orders of Khalifa Haftar, editor's note].

The departure of migrants from these areas is a very clear indicator that all this is happening in an organized and coordinated manner by these armed groups. The situation may change or even get worse because the financial profits generated by this trafficking are very significant.

Controls in the Mediterranean Sea have also been considerably strengthened off the coast of western Libya in recent years, following an agreement between the European Union (EU) and the government in Tripoli. Since the start of 2026, just over 5,600 migrants have been intercepted at sea, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Many migrants have therefore sought other, less monitored routes to reach Europe.

The eastern route from Libya, in particular to the island of Crete, is one of them. It is an essential migratory axis at the start of 2026, according to data from the Mixed Migration Center for North Africa, despite a slight drop in the number of arrivals compared to the same period last year. On March 29, 2026, 2,024 arrivals were recorded in Crete, compared to 2,168 on March 30, 2025 (-7 percent). In February 2026, arrivals on the island of Crete were mainly Sudanese (39 percent) and Egyptians (31 percent). In recent months, routes have gradually shifted away from the west to avoid Coast Guard interception efforts. In 2025, the Greek island of Crete recorded 19,857 irregular arrivals, an increase of 285 percent compared to just over 5,000 arrivals in 2024.

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Has this increase of migrants been a new economic engine for the region?

T.L: An entire economy was created around the presence of migrants wanting to take off to Europe. This includes smugglers, but also drivers, house and farm owners who rent out their homes. Bakeries too. For example, if someone comes to buy 200 pieces of bread every day, it is because they are intended for a camp where there are migrants. Sometimes these places even have their own ovens and restaurants.

The region is now benefiting from this migratory phenomenon in a very significant way. And I don't think it will stop nor that we'll get over it easily.

According to the Mixed Migration Center, the number of migrants in Libya stood at 939,638 in December 2025. This represents an increase of 14 percent compared to the same period in 2024 (824,131). Most migrants reside in western Libya (51 percent), followed by the east (38 percent) and then the south (11 percent).

Sudanese continued to represent the vast majority of asylum seekers in Libya as of March 1, 2026 -- the total number of asylum seekers in the first quarter of this year stood at 110,009 refugees and asylum seekers.

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How are departures organized in these regions?

T.L: Regarding the departures themselves, the types of boats vary. There are wooden boats, in relatively good condition, equipped with radios, which leave the ports accompanied by speedboats belonging to the coast guard or Libyan militias.

These groups can sometimes facilitate departures or intercept migrants at sea to bring them back to Libya.

"After 2011, political division and the emergence of two rival governments led to the collapse of the official naval system, as well as a weakening of the operational capabilities of the security forces, which found themselves divided between the east and the west of the country. Armed groups took advantage of this vacuum to establish parallel authorities with boats and naval units [...] which created a situation of duplication in terms of those who actually exercise the role of 'coast guard'", a report from the Benghazi Center for Migration and Asylum Studies published last January explained.

Other departures are made on precarious rubber boats and, unfortunately, shipwrecks are frequent and the victims are most often sub-Saharan Africans or Sudanese. It is departures in this type of boat that cause the most deaths.

Prices for crossings vary and can be as high as 6,000 dollars (around 5,000 euros) per passenger in a wooden boat and can be as low as less than 1,000 dollars (around 850 euros) for an inflatable dinghy.

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