Migrants en route to the United Kingdom have been subjected to kidnapping, torture, and threats of organ harvesting unless their families paid ransoms promptly, according to media reports. Men from Iraqi Kurdistan were seized by a militia in Libya and informed that their kidneys would be removed unless relatives paid nearly £4,000.
The BBC reports that forced surgical procedures took place, and at least one of the kidnapped migrants died. The migrants were being transported through Libya toward the Mediterranean Sea, but a dispute over payment reportedly erupted with Noah Aaron, an Iraqi-Kurdish people smuggler.
Details of the Abductions
Over 300 migrants aiming to reach Britain last summer were kidnapped and threatened by their captors, the BBC reports. They were imprisoned in a compound and ordered to pay $5,000 (£3,700) after Aaron failed to settle a deal. Former hostages recounted being confined in small cells with dozens of other migrants, sharing a single toilet, and sleeping in a seated position due to lack of space.
Some families paid the ransom, and many hostages have since been released, the BBC reports.
Smuggler's Role and Background
Noah Aaron is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence in France for money laundering and smuggling offences, according to the BBC. Iraqi-Kurds constitute a significant number of migrants who arrive in the UK via small boats across the English Channel.
In 2023, Iraq ranked fifth among countries of origin for small boat arrivals in the UK, as identified by think tank Chatham House. Migrants are driven to leave by factors including conflict, corruption, and limited opportunities, according to Chatham House.
Broader Context of Abuse in Libya
Human rights organisation Amnesty International notes that Libya has long been unsafe for refugees and migrants. Reported abuses include unlawful killing, torture, rape, and arbitrary detention in inhuman conditions overseen by both state and non-state actors.
