Libya uncovers workshops making boats to transport migrants — Asharq Al-Awsat

In Libya, authorities regularly report the discovery of clandestine workshops and small production sites where boats are made for irregular sea transport of migrants to Europe. Such vessels are often called “boats of death” in the country, Asharq Al-Awsat reports.

During raids, law enforcement officers find wooden planks, engines, boat-building equipment, as well as completed vessels and those still under construction. In some cases, security forces burned seized boats and components after raids to prevent their reuse for transporting migrants.

Workshops along the coast

According to the Benghazi Center for Migration Studies, such workshops are located in coastal cities near departure points. Some are set up in carpentry shops or simple premises near the sea. In particular, authorities in the city of Zuwara discovered a coastal site converted for the production of wooden boats.

Earlier in September, Libyan authorities reported two boat-production sites in Tobruk in the east of the country and in Sirte. Similar locations had previously been discovered in Tajoura near Tripoli, Khoms, and Al-Qawiyah, while two sites in Misrata were found last year. Tarek Lamlum, head of the Benghazi Center for Migration Studies, said the workshops are also concentrated in eastern Libya, particularly in the Tobruk area, Bir al-Ashhab, and near the border with Egypt.

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Supply network

Wooden and fiberglass boats, inflatable craft, and old fishing vessels are used for sea crossings. In recent years, boats specially built for such journeys have also appeared. Their quality varies: some are made cheaply, without the standards required for fishing or regular seagoing vessels.

According to Lamlum, an internal network for supplying boats and equipment operates between different regions of Libya. He said the chain involves people who finance production, build or import boats and engines, transport them between cities, provide captains, and ensure departure locations.

A security source told the publication that a quality wooden boat without an engine costs approximately 50,000 Libyan dinars, or about $5,000. According to the latest data from the International Organization for Migration, around 936,000 migrants were in Libya in January and February.