The Human Rights of Migrants and Deportees Returning to Lagos from Libya: Reintegration and Accountability

This research investigates the human rights violations experienced by Nigerian migrants in Libya and assesses the reintegration support provided to deportees returning to Lagos State. Reports by the International Organization for Migration and global media investigations have extensively documented torture, slavery, sexual violence, and extortion suffered by Nigerian migrants in Libyan detention facilities, constituting grave violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. The study draws on the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, the African Union Migration Policy Framework, and Nigeria's National Policy on Labour Migration to assess the governmental and institutional response to returnee needs. Primary data are gathered through interviews with 50 returned migrants at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) return migration facility in Lagos and with representatives of IOM Nigeria, NAPTIP, and civil society reintegration service providers. Findings reveal that while initial humanitarian reception exists, long-term psychosocial support, economic reintegration assistance, and accountability mechanisms targeting perpetrators of Libya-based abuses are severely inadequate. The study further documents the persistent push factors, including poverty and unemployment, that drive repeat migration despite known dangers. Recommendations include a comprehensive returnee reintegration policy, dedicated trauma counseling services, and diplomatic engagement with Libyan authorities to ensure migrant protections. Keywords: migrants' rights, Libya deportees, Lagos, reintegration, trafficking.