Libya welcomes Syrian refugees as skilled workers

Omar al-Awadah is quite happy with his life at the moment. The 31-year-old and his family escaped from Syria in 2011 during the first year of the uprising that turned into a war that is yet to end.

"Initially, I thought of migrating to Germany, like many others," he told DW in Libya's capital, Tripoli. "But then I decided to stay in Libya.

"Here, I have everything I need and can guarantee my family a good future," he added.

The car mechanic was able to open his own car repair shop, which he said is flourishing.

Al-Awadah is not the only Syrian migrant who is happy with the decision to  settle in Libya.

Many former migrants have gained a foothold not only as simple workers but also as entrepreneurs and qualified specialists, observers told DW.

According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, or UNHCR, around 14,500 refugees and asylum-seekers from Syria were in Libya in 2020.

Latest UN numbers indicate that Syrian migrants in the country still remain a minority.

Currently, around 60,000 refugees and asylum-seekers from across Africa are registered with the refugee agency. Also, 125,802 people are thought to be displaced inside the country in addition to the around 44,000 people who have been displaced since September 2023 when Storm Daniel struck eastern Libya.

Flexible bureaucracy

The success of Syrian migrants in their new host country is attributed to two key factors.

The Syrians are said to have adapted well to Libya's particular living conditions.The country remains split under two rival governments, and a civil war has not yet fully ended.

On top of that, Libya has also shown maximum flexibility when it comes to granting work and residence permits for Syrian refugees.

"In Turkey, legal complications prevented us from expanding our business," Abu Ali, who runs a Syrian pastry shop in Tripoli, told DW.

In Libya, everything is much easier, the 44-year-old said, "We were able to open our business with very little bureaucracy."

Also, Libyans foster an uncomplicated approach to the new arrivals.

"Syrians are professional and pragmatic," Muftah Alghazal, a tourism student at the university in Tripoli, told DW. "We respect them as they have exactly the skills we need."

Najwa Omar, a Libyan teacher, shares a similar view.

"Syrians are now part of our daily lives and Syrian restaurants and stores have become an integral element of Libyan neighborhoods," she told DW.

"We Libyans love Syrian cuisine and this has helped building ties between the two peoples," Omar said. In her view, these Syrians are not considered refugees anymore as Libya is their new home.

Precarious legal situation

However, Libya still lacks any official asylum policy even though the UN Refugee Agency has repeatedly urged the Libyan government to address the dire situation facing asylum-seekers and refugees.

Furthermore, human rights organizations regularly report that migrants, including Syrians, suffer from human rights abuses in Libya.

"There are no formal laws," the Libyan human rights activist Mohamed Albergly confirmed.

Libya has neither signed the 1951 UN Refugee Convention nor the 1967 Additional Protocol. This complicates the legal situation for refugees in the country as many of them, including Syrians, do not have the full legal protection that would give them access to basic rights such as work, education and health care, he said.

"For this reason, refugees find themselves in a precarious legal situation which makes it difficult for them to formally claim their rights," Albergly told DW in Tripoli.

Nevertheless, Syrians have largely managed to adapt to Libya's informal systems, which makes it easier for them to get a work permit compared to other migrants, he added.

"I chose to stay in Libya," Abu Malik, who also fled Syria, told DW. Initially, he had dreamt of reaching Europe. "But this dream is risky, and here in Libya I have the chance to work and lead a life under decent conditions."

The 37-year-old, who now works in a car paint shop, said conditions are not perfect though, "But I don't have to pay taxes and the electricity and water are free."

Also, pastry chef Abu Ali is satisfied with his decision to stay.

"It wasn't easy to leave home, but, meanwhile, we've found a way to earn a living here, and we appreciate the opportunities Libya offers," he said. "We feel part of the Libyan community."

Libya's difficult situation in the east

However, the official UN refugee agency has only one office in Libya, and it is located in Tripoli, in Libya's west.

Syrians who first arrive in the east of the country have difficulties registering as refugees with the UNHCR since political friction between the two rival  governments makes traveling difficult.

"When I came to Libya, I couldn't register with the UNHCR because I was living in the east of the country," said Al-Awadah, who came to Libya with his family in 2011, "At least I was able to rely on my skills as car mechanic until I was finally able to register in 2019." 

While some asylum-seekers in Libya manage to find a way to make a satisfying living, many other migrants often remain in a legally vulnerable situation and run the risk of being detained and housed in inadequately equipped detention centers.

They are unable to obtain necessary documents in order to receive legal protection and humanitarian aid, human rights activist Albergly said.

"This leaves them defenceless against exploitation or even deportation," he said. 

This article was originally published in German.