Authorities have shut down a clandestine factory in western Libya that was reportedly used to build and equip boats for migrant smuggling. But migrant crackdowns, interceptions at sea and tighter maritime surveillance in western Libya, backed by the EU, continue to push migrant flows toward less monitored routes, such as in the east.
Authorities have shut down a "clandestine factory" in the Tajoura district in western Libya that was being used to manufacture and equip boats for human smuggling operations, according to local media reports.
Authorities from a unit tasked with combating irregular migration and Tripoli's immigration prosecution office carried out the operation following intelligence reports that identified the site as a hub for preparing vessels used in unauthorized Mediterranean crossings, The Libya Observer, a Tripoli-based newspaper, reported on Tuesday (May 2026).
Forces raided the facility, arrested several individuals present at the scene and seized industrial equipment and raw materials believed to have been used in the construction of the boats, according to the report.
The case has since been referred to the Public Prosecution Office. A prosecutor has ordered pre-trial detention, the confiscation of all seized materials, and the immediate closure of the facility pending further investigation, according to local media.
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EU-backed migrant crackdowns in Libya's west drives smuggling routes eastwards
Migrant crackdowns and tighter maritime surveillance in western Libya, backed by cooperation between European authorities and the Tripoli-based government, have pushed migration flows eastward. Thousands of migrants have been intercepted at sea in early 2026, prompting many to seek less monitored departure routes, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Over in Libya's eastern side, people are also cashing in on the clandestine migrant smuggling economy. Irregular departures along the so-called Tobruk route have increased, with a rise in migrant arrivals on the Greek island of Crete in recent months, alongside a growing number of fatalities at sea, often linked to overcrowded, unseaworthy vessels that capsize.
Tarek Lamloum, a researcher at the Benghazi Center for Migrant and Refugee Studies, believes the rise in migrant fatalities at sea is closely linked to the growing profitability of human trafficking and smuggling networks in the region.
"There is a real green light given to smugglers, particularly in eastern Libya, where trafficking (/smuggling) has developed in recent years," Tarek Lamloum told InfoMigrants French. He traces the expansion of these networks back to 2019, when eastern Libya came under the control of forces aligned with Khalifa Haftar. As these authorities consolidated control over border crossings and state infrastructure, new migration pathways began to take shape. Migrants entering through airports in Benghazi and other points were often granted short-term work permits, only to later be moved toward coastal areas for sea crossings.
Over time, cities such as Tobruk and Derna, previously not major departure hubs, became important launching points for crossings toward Europe. Even areas around Benghazi and nearby rural zones were gradually integrated into smuggling routes. According to Lamloum, the spread of departure sites into heavily controlled territory reflects an increasingly coordinated system rather than isolated activity.
"These areas are controlled by armed groups under the Libyan National Army and affiliated brigades," he said, noting that their involvement points to an organized structure benefiting from the trade. The financial incentives, he says, are substantial, making smuggling a deeply embedded and self-sustaining economy in Libya.
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More profitable smuggling industry draws in small local businesses
Beyond the crossings themselves, Lamloum describes a wider local economy built around migration in eastern Libya. Smuggling networks are supported by transport operators, landlords, and property owners who rent homes and farmland to migrants in transit.
"A whole economy has sprung up around the presence of those attempting to leave," said Lamloum. "The region is now benefiting significantly from this migratory phenomenon."
Departures vary from relatively organized wooden boats equipped with radios to overcrowded inflatable dinghies with far higher risks of shipwreck. Crossing fees can reach several thousand dollars per person for more stable vessels, while cheaper inflatable boat crossings can cost under 1,000 US dollars, depending on conditions and risk levels.
Even local businesses, including bakeries, are indirectly integrated into this system, supplying makeshift transit sites and camps, Lamloun said, adding that the financial gains are so significant that the structure is unlikely to disappear in the foreseeable future.