Kintampo South MP meets Libyan authorities over Ghanaian migrants' plight

The Member of Parliament for Kintampo South and a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Felicia Adjei, has undertaken a historic five-day working visit to meet Libyan authorities to find solutions to the plight of Ghanaian migrants and gather first-hand information about the challenges they face in the North African country.

The visit focused particularly on Ghanaians from the Bono East Region, including residents of the Bono Region, many of whom travelled to Libya through irregular and dangerous migration routes in search of employment and better economic opportunities.

During the visit, Adjei met with members of the Ghanaian community and listened to accounts of the difficulties they encounter, including unemployment, lack of legal documentation, poor working conditions, exploitation, limited access to healthcare and the constant threat of arrest and detention.

"Some of us face physical abuse, human trafficking, extortion, and forced labour. We will urge our friends from Ghana not to take the illegal route to Libya if you don't have the documents," one of the migrants said.

Libya has, for several years, served as both a destination and transit country for migrants from Ghana and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

Some migrants travel through the Sahara Desert with the intention of working in Libya, while others hope to continue across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.

The journeys are often organised by smugglers and expose migrants to dehydration, hunger, violence, abandonment in the desert and other life-threatening conditions.

Reports by international organisations have repeatedly documented serious human rights violations against migrants in Libya, including arbitrary detention, torture, sexual violence, trafficking and exploitation.

The scale of Ghanaian migration through Libya has also remained a major concern. In 2024, the International Organization for Migration assisted 1,597 Ghanaian migrants to return safely from Libya through nine charter flights.

Since 2017, more than 8,000 Ghanaian migrants have reportedly received voluntary return support, with many of the beneficiaries returning from Libya after becoming stranded or experiencing hardship along irregular migration routes.

As part of her official engagements, Adjei held discussions with senior Libyan authorities, including the President of Libya, the President of the High State Council, and other key officials.

'Stop dumping refuse into gutters' - President Mahama cautions Ghanaians