Benghazi conference on combating human trafficking discusses strengthening the fight and protecting victims

Benghazi, August 12, 2026 (LANA) – The city of Benghazi hosted the first conference on human trafficking on Wednesday, organized by the Youth, Labor, and Social Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives in cooperation with the Ministry of State for Illegal Migration Affairs. The conference, titled “From Diagnosis to Confrontation,” carried the slogan “Trapped Behind Fraud.”

The conference discussed the reality of human trafficking in Libya and ways to combat it, through sessions addressing modern trends in the crime, patterns of irregular migration concentration in Benghazi, the legal framework for human trafficking and victim protection, national migration governance and international cooperation, as well as an analysis of national indicators, patterns, and future challenges related to human trafficking in Libya.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the conference issued the “Benghazi Declaration,” which included several recommendations, among them a call for the adoption of the draft national law to combat human trafficking. The committee will begin drafting this law, ensuring its compliance with the provisions of the Palermo Protocol and international human rights standards.

The conference recommended strengthening mechanisms for protecting and supporting victims by establishing an effective and integrated national mechanism encompassing all relevant institutions to ensure the rapid and safe provision of shelter, healthcare, psychological support, and legal assistance.

It also called for the launch of specialized and ongoing training programs for frontline workers, such as security personnel, public prosecutors, and judges, on how to identify and sensitively treat victims of human trafficking and implement protection mechanisms, with a focus on the victims' rights.

Furthermore, the conference recommended developing a comprehensive legal and security response to combat this crime by intensifying efforts to dismantle trafficking networks and prosecute perpetrators, enhancing cooperation between local and international security and judicial bodies, and exchanging criminal information and data.

The conference urged the launch of large-scale national awareness campaigns targeting local communities and the most vulnerable groups to raise awareness of the dangers of human trafficking, how to report it, and to promote a culture of human rights. It also called for the development of a clearly defined national action plan to combat human trafficking.

In a statement to the Libyan News Agency, Ibrahim Abdel Hamid, a member of the conference's preparatory committee, said that choosing to hold the first conference as a "Libyan-Libyan" conference aims to discuss the issue of human trafficking within the context of the Libyan situation and to arrive at recommendations that will help control borders and confront organized gangs operating across them. He pointed out that human trafficking is a transnational crime, which necessitates addressing the issue by understanding its reality within Libya, leading to practical recommendations.

...(LANA)...