Refugees in Libya
Refugees in Libya is a refugee-led nonprofit that documents human rights abuses and advocates for the protection and evacuation of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants trapped in Libya and Tunisia, operating multilingual emergency support and international accountability campaigns across Europe and North Africa.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersBologna, Italy
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Refugees in Libya does
Refugees in Libya is a refugee-led nonprofit organization advocating for the rights, protection, and safe evacuation of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants trapped in Libya, Tunisia, and other North African transit countries. Founded in the aftermath of the October 1, 2021 Gargaresh raid and formalized as a legal entity in Italy on July 19, 2024 (Tax Code IT 91466600375), the organization is governed and staffed primarily by survivors of detention, trafficking, and torture. It operates a free multilingual WhatsApp emergency helpline, digital intake forms for reporting human rights violations, and a video archive of testimonies, with current functional operations in Libya and Tunisia and advocacy presence in at least nine European countries.
The organization's portfolio centers on documentation and exposure of human rights abuses rather than proprietary technology. Core service products include the multilingual Support Hotline (WhatsApp-based, covering suicide intervention, detention cases, desert rescue, housing, food, medical assistance, and militia-attack coordination), the Book of Shame publication (a collective documentation report sold at a minimum €25 donation), and a video archive of testimonies and press conferences. Digital intake forms are hosted on a standard Wix-based website; no proprietary AI, machine learning, or platform architecture is in evidence. Strategic activities include organizing demonstrations at UNHCR, EU institutions, and the ICC, supporting strategic litigation and survivor testimony in ICC proceedings, and coordinating advocacy with a coalition of 50+ civil society organizations.
The revenue model is donations-based, with inflows from PayPal contributions and Book of Shame merchandise sales. There are no disclosed institutional grants, corporate sponsorships, or earned service revenue. Operations are sustained by approximately 12 core staff, an extended volunteer and refugee community base across multiple countries, and episodic fundraising campaigns (e.g., medical teams in Sfax, Tunisia). The customer base is not commercial — beneficiaries receive free services, while financial supporters are distributed small-dollar donors with no disclosed concentration. Distribution is direct-to-beneficiary via field officers and the WhatsApp helpline, supplemented by e-commerce merchandise sales through the organization's website.
Refugees in Libya firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Refugees in Libya
- Legal name
- Refugees in Libya
- Website
- https://www.refugeesinlibya.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Refugees in Libya is a refugee-led nonprofit that documents human rights abuses and advocates for the protection and evacuation of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants trapped in Libya and Tunisia, operating multilingual emergency support and international accountability campaigns across Europe and North Africa.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Refugees in Libya industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Humanitarian Aid and Advocacy
- NAICS
- Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Human Rights Organizations (813311)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Immigrant & Refugee Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAG), Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services (BPADAHAE), Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI), Refugee Reception & Registration (BPADAHAA)
Keywords
Where Refugees in Libya is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bologna
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Refugees in Libya business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations: Organization accepts donations through PayPal and other channels to support ongoing operations, advocacy work, medical fundraisers for migrants in camps, and emergency relief efforts
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of 'Book of Shame' publication documenting UNHCR failures to protect refugees in Libya, Tunisia, and Niger. Sold at minimum donation of €25 to sustain organizational work.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Book of Shame publication |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Refugees in Libya product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Refugees in Libya is a refugee-led nonprofit organization that provides multilingual emergency support to refugees and migrants via a WhatsApp helpline, documents human rights violations across North Africa, and conducts international advocacy campaigns targeting UNHCR, the EU, and the ICC. The organization sells the "Book of Shame" publication to raise funds and amplifies refugee voices through protests, strategic litigation support, demonstrations across European cities, and testimonial documentation.
Product overview
Refugees in Libya is a refugee-led, non-profit advocacy organization offering a portfolio of services including human rights documentation, multilingual emergency support via WhatsApp hotline, and advocacy campaigns. The organization publishes the Book of Shame documenting failures of international protection systems, maintains video archives of testimonies, and operates support forms for refugees to report violations. Their work spans direct support services to refugees alongside advocacy, strategic litigation support, and international accountability campaigns. The organization is not structured as a technology platform but as a grassroots movement providing humanitarian services and advocacy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Book of Shame: A publication documenting how UNHCR fails to protect refugees in Libya, Tunisia, and Niger
- UNFAIR Campaign
Products and services
- Multilingual Support Hotline A free, multilingual emergency helpline operated via WhatsApp providing live support for refugees and migrants facing emergencies such as suicide threats, deprivation of liberty, desert dumps, housing issues, food shortages, medical assistance needs, and militia attack coordination.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1,000 refugees and migrants supported through helpline
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Refugees in Libya
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Refugees in Libya technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Refugees in Libya partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Memorie Mediterranee (MEM.MED)corePartnership for producing and distributing the Book of Shame publication. MEM.MED serves as the account holder for fundraising campaigns supporting medical teams in Sfax, Tunisia. IBAN: IT74G0501804600000011411485
- Civil society organizations (50+ NGOs)coreCoalition of humanitarian and human rights organizations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, MSF, Alarm Phone Sahara, and others. Joint statements on Tunisia safety, ICC advocacy, and EU complicity. Over 50 organizations signed the ICC civil society statement.
- International University of East Africa (IUEA)minorCollaboration for symposium on Understanding Europe's Crimes in Libya, North, East Africa and the Mediterranean Sea held November 18, 2025 in Kampala, Uganda
- ICC Survivors and VictimscoreSurvivors of Mitiga Prison and other victims of crimes against humanity providing testimony and evidence for ICC proceedings against Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Refugees in Libya competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Alarm Phone Sahara: Grassroots emergency hotline for migrants in distress in the Sahara and North Africa. Direct peer — Refugees in Libya names Alarm Phone Sahara as a coalition partner, and both operate multilingual helplines for migrants facing desert crossings, detention, and pushbacks.
- Sea-Watch: Non-governmental organization conducting civil search-and-rescue operations in the Mediterranean and documenting rights violations against migrants. Highly comparable: same target population (refugees transiting Libya/Tunisia), same geographic corridors, and similar advocacy and documentation mandate.
- SOS Mediterranee: European maritime-humanitarian organization rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean and advocating for safe passage. Direct peer serving the same population in the same transit corridor with overlapping rescue, documentation, and policy-advocacy activities.
Broad incumbents
- Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF): Global medical-humanitarian organization that has provided care to refugees in Libyan detention and Tunisian camps. Named coalition partner of Refugees in Libya; broader humanitarian mandate but overlapping beneficiary population and advocacy on Libya migration.
- Amnesty International: Global human rights organization that has extensively documented abuses against refugees in Libya and Tunisia. Listed as a coalition partner on the ICC civil society statement; comparable advocacy and documentation outputs though at much larger institutional scale.
- Human Rights Watch: International human rights organization with substantial reporting on Libya's treatment of migrants and EU border externalization policies. Coalition partner; comparable research and policy-advocacy mission though executed through a paid professional staff rather than survivor-led model.
- Danish Refugee Council: One of the largest NGOs providing protection and durable solutions to refugees across North Africa and the Mediterranean. Comparable target population and operational geography, though at significantly larger institutional scale and with a more traditional service-delivery model.
- International Rescue Committee (IRC): Major humanitarian organization responding to crisis-driven displacement including in Libya and Tunisia. Comparable mandate on refugee protection and rights, delivered at global scale with institutional donor funding.
Others
- UNHCR: The UN Refugee Agency is the central institution Refugees in Libya directly engages with and criticizes. Included as an institutional counterpart rather than a peer: shared beneficiary population but opposite positioning on accountability for protection failures.
Emerging players
- Mixed Migration Centre (MMC): Research center producing data and analysis on mixed migration flows across North Africa, including Libya and Tunisia. Comparable in thematic focus on documenting refugee/migrant conditions in the same transit corridors, though primarily a research rather than service or advocacy organization.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Refugees in Libya social profiles
Digital presenceRefugees in Libya financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Refugees in Libya leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Refugees in Libya funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Refugees in Libya M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Refugees in Libya
What does Refugees in Libya do?
Refugees in Libya is a refugee-led nonprofit organization that provides multilingual emergency support to refugees and migrants via a WhatsApp helpline, documents human rights violations across North Africa, and conducts international advocacy campaigns targeting UNHCR, the EU, and the ICC. The organization sells the "Book of Shame" publication to raise funds and amplifies refugee voices through protests, strategic litigation support, demonstrations across European cities, and testimonial documentation.
Is Refugees in Libya a public or private company?
Refugees in Libya is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Refugees in Libya founded?
Refugees in Libya was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Refugees in Libya based?
Refugees in Libya is headquartered in Bologna, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does Refugees in Libya make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales.
Who are Refugees in Libya's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Alarm Phone Sahara, Sea-Watch and SOS Mediterranee. Broad incumbents are Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Danish Refugee Council and International Rescue Committee (IRC). UNHCR is listed as an others. Mixed Migration Centre (MMC) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Refugees in Libya have an API?
No public API is recorded for Refugees in Libya.
What industry is Refugees in Libya in?
Refugees in Libya's product category is Humanitarian Aid and Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAAAH, Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance, with a secondary code of BPAGAFAG, Immigrant & Refugee Rights Advocacy. Its NAICS code is 6241 and its SIC code is 8300.