Refugees in Kenya at heightened risk of exploitation by Libyan human traffickers

Somali refugees living in camps across Kenya are facing worsening conditions following a dramatic 90% reduction in U.S. international aid ordered by former President Donald Trump. With dwindling support, their vulnerability to exploitation has sharply increased.

USAID had been a key provider of food, shelter, and basic services for refugees in Kenya. Now, with those resources slashed, international watchdogs such as the EU-backed Enact Observer warn that refugees are at heightened risk of falling prey to human traffickers.

According to Enact, a Libya-based trafficking network known as Magafe is using platforms like WhatsApp and TikTok to lure desperate refugees to Libya with false promises of reaching Europe. Instead, many are met with horrific abuses including extortion, forced labor, slavery, and even organ trafficking.

Efforts by both Kenya and Libya to curb trafficking and smuggling have so far proven inadequate. Enact attributes this to weak legal frameworks and limited policing capacity. While Libya has enacted laws targeting sex trafficking, there are reportedly no laws specifically banning labor trafficking.

To address the growing crisis, Enact is calling for a comprehensive strategy. This includes stronger cross-border cooperation, greater involvement of international agencies, issuing work permits for refugees in refugee camps, and launching awareness campaigns to combat deceptive recruitment tactics spread via social media.