On 2 April, the Internal Security Agency (ISA), an agency of the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity, suspended the operations of 10 international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in providing humanitarian assistance to migrants. Authorities stated that the organizations were involved in financial irregularities and activities considered a threat to national security and the country’s ‘demographic composition’, alleging that the organisations supported the settlement of sub-Saharan migrants. The suspension is expected to disrupt aid and protection efforts for migrant communities. Over 700,000 migrants currently reside in the country, according to the International Organization for Migration. 

Sources: Al Wasat, Associated Press, The New Arab, International Commission of Jurists, Libya Herald, International Organization for Migration

In early February, Libyan security forces uncovered two mass graves in the southeastern desert, believed to contain the remains of migrants. The first site was found in Jikharra, and the second in the Al-Kufra district. By 19 February, a total of 93 bodies had been exhumed from both locations, according to the United Nations (UN). The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that the victims' nationalities and causes of death remain unknown, though some showed signs of gunshot wounds. The discovery of the graves came in connection to a raid on suspected human trafficking sites, where 76 migrants were freed and three suspects arrested. In 2024, the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project recorded 965 deaths and disappearances of migrants in Libya.

Sources: International Organisation for Migration, United Nations, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project

On 6 November, Libya's Interior Minister, Imad Al-Trabelsi, announced the reinstatement of the ‘morality police’, officially known as the Public Morality Protection Unit, scheduled to begin operations in December. This unit will enforce ‘traditional’ social norms, particularly impacting women and girls, such as mandatory veiling for those over the age of nine, limitations on gender mixing in public spaces, and a requirement that women have a male guardian when they travel abroad. Rights groups warn the measures threaten women's rights, including their bodily autonomy, and may violate Article 7 of Libya's 2011 constitutional declaration, which guarantees personal freedoms. Observers also foresee expedite arrests of women. The ‘morality police’, previously dissolved in 2011, will be based in Tripoli under the Government of National Unity (GNU). This decision follows the creation of the ‘Guardians of Virtue’ program by the GNU in May 2023, an initiative aimed at upholding Islamic values.

Sources: Asharq Al-Awsat, Middle East Eye, Amnesty International, International Commission of Jurists, Middle East Monitor, DW, Human Rights Watch

On 16 November, Libya completed the first phase of its municipal elections, which were held across 58 municipalities. This is the first time since 2014 that unified local elections were held simultaneously in the country’s eastern and western regions. The elections saw a high voter turnout of 77.2 per cent out of approximately 210,000 registered voters. While women’s voter registration was low, 73.4 per cent of those registered participated. In terms of candidacy, only 3 per cent of independent candidates and 30 per cent of list candidates were women. A 2021 quota system guarantees at least one seat for women in each municipal council. Although the elections were held in both eastern and western regions, territorial control over Libya remains fragmented. A second phase of municipal elections in 59 other municipalities is scheduled for January 2025. Municipal elections are considered a vital initial step toward other electoral processes in the country, including long-delayed parliamentary and presidential elections.

Sources: HNEC, Libya Review, Al Wasat, Middle East Monitor, UNSMIL, International IDEA (1), International IDEA (2), UN Women

The High National Elections Commission (HNEC) in Libya announced that 176,339 voters, including 47,979 women, have registered to participate in the upcoming elections for 60 of the country’s 106 municipal councils. The elections are scheduled for 27 August and are due to be followed by elections for the remainder of the councils. Despite backing from both the Government of National Unity (GNU) and the House of Representatives (HoR), media reports suggest that many Libyans remain skeptical of the electoral process due to the country’s de facto division. Voter registration, particularly among women, remains notably low. Efforts by the HNEC and the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) to boost registration encountered significant obstacles, with reports indicating that 10 out of 12 centers in Libya’s eastern municipalities were unable to open. While municipal elections are considered a vital initial step toward establishing broader electoral procedures in the country, there is still uncertainty as to whether these elections will be held.

Sources: HNEC, Al Araby Al Jadeed, Libya Al Ahrar, Al Watan, UNSMIL