Benghazi, November 11 (Darfur24)
The Libyan Immigration Authority announced on Monday that it had arrested several Sudanese refugees in the Green Mountain region on charges of begging and violating residency regulations.
In a statement posted on its official page, seen by Darfur24, the body said that security patrols operating under the Joint Security Room in Jabal Al-Akhdar apprehended 29 Sudanese nationals, including women and children.
It further announced that the 29 detainees were transferred to the Ganfouda detention center in Benghazi, pending deportation to Sudan.
According to the statement, the arrest campaign is part of efforts to combat what authorities described as “the growing phenomenon of begging” and to prevent the exploitation of women and children in streets and public places, to maintain public order and the “civilized appearance” of Libyan cities.
According to UNHCR’s September statistics, Libya hosts approximately 357,000 Sudanese refugees. Of these, 193,000 reside in the border municipality of Kufra, 80,000 in the capital Tripoli, and 10,000 in Benghazi.
Misrata hosts more than 7,248 refugees, Zawiya 6,190, and Jafara 20,443. In eastern Libya, Derna hosts 5,642 refugees, Tobruk 5,768, and the Green Mountain region 3,822.