Migrants face tough conditions in Libyan detention after crackdown

A United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) staff member registers migrants inside a detention centre at Ain Zara, in Tripoli, Libya, October 12, 2021. REUTERS/Hazem Ahmed

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Hundreds of migrants in Libya's Ain Zara detention centre live in basic conditions, sleeping on mattresses in the open air after a crackdown that rights groups have condemned.

Libya is home to nearly 600,000 migrants, according to U.N. figures. Most are from sub-Saharan Africa, some attracted by the prospect of work in the oil-rich country despite years of conflict and chaos, while others see it as a jumping-off point for travel on to Europe.