The region records the crossing of about 150 migrants daily in summer against 400 migrants a day in winter.

Things have grown worse as the illegal migration authorities suffer from a serious shortage of resources. Mr. Omar AlShekou, director of the administrative affairs within the body in charge of combating illegal migration reported that they have stopped working for two years now due to lack of resources, while noting that there was currently only one shelter, which could not accommodate the large number of migrants. Our source explains that nearly 80 migrants are accommodated in one room.

The lack of resources impacted the landscape of Ghat city as illegal migrants are spread all over the city in a frightening and scary way in addition to the presence of many threats, including diseases and prostitution and the spread of drugs and other negative phenomena as well as other security issues, which could create a conducive environment for illegal organizations and movements.

Mr. Omar AlShekou said, in this regard, that illegal migration guards used to arrest between 15 and 50 illegal migrants per day.

He explained that migrants who would settle in Ghat were mainly from Niger whereas the others would consider the region as a transit point towards the north. They would stay for a short period to collect some money to go to Europe.

Our contact said that illegal migrants would coordinate with local smugglers, mostly from the cities of Sabha, Ubari and Ghat. They would pay up to 200 Libyan dinars for a male migrant and between 400 and 600 Libyan dinars for a female migrant.

Our source mentioned that the tracks followed by smugglers are "Essien" and "Fayout" and other roads adjacent to African borders. AlShekou asked, in this context, to provide the necessary support of human and material resources noting that the capacity of the detention center currently is about 150 people only, while the number of detainees amounts to 400 people.

For his part, the commander of the Criminal Investigation Bureau in Ubari Mr. Issa AlKheir said that by monitoring the movement of migrants from sub-Saharan countries to Libya, it was clear that "Tejerhi" was the main gate. They would gather in Niger and then they would enter to Sabha, before heading to the Northern regions. As for Ghat and Ubari, a very limited number of migrants not more than ten people would cross them.

On the other hand, the Municipal Council in Ghat recommended, in a document addressed to the Government of Salvation in Tripoli, to provide assistance to the municipality to establish shelters according to international standards and provide the cost of accommodation for the growing number of migrants.

The Municipal Council also stressed the need to develop a strategy based on investing in productive and agricultural projects to generate jobs for local people in their own countries as well as supporting joint projects between African countries in the desert belt, and other projects between Africa and Europe. It requested to send a delegation of experts from the United Nations and the European Union to Libya, and namely to the Municipal of Ghat to see the reality on the ground.