In Libya, human traffickers turn to TikTok to promote services

Islam Alatrash

Feb 4, 2024

Libya trafficking — Sub-Saharan African migrants are rescued by the Libyan coastguard after their inflatable boat started to sink off the coastal town of Guarabouli, 60 kilometres east of the capital Tripoli on November 20, 2014. There were 108 people rescued from the sinking raft. — MAHMUD TURKIA/AFP via Getty Images

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TRIPOLI, Libya — TikTok has transformed from a borderless platform into a tool used to promote migration across boundaries.

In Libya, traffickers have exploited the platform's wide reach and lack of proper oversight to promote illegal activities, and TikTok has become a haven for human traffickers preying on vulnerable migrants. With a surge in the number of refugees and illegal migrants in the country, smugglers have turned to TikTok to promote their services and entice new victims.

Shocking scenes

Omar al-Hamali, a 22-year-old Libyan who escaped to Germany a few months ago after securing a journey through TikTok, told Al-Monitor via WhatsApp, “Libyans will always find a way to leave Libya. There is no future, and [we face] the threat of abduction, extortion, and loss of freedom. We faced beatings and recklessness from armed men who worked with the smuggler, but today I've started a new life.”