Libya is located in North Africa, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west. With the geopolitical location of Libya and the proximity of its coastline to Europe, Libya will continue to be a significant transit country along the Central Mediterranean Route in the context of mixed movements, including refugees and migrants. At the same time, Libya remains and will continue to gain traction as a destination country, for refugees, but also for migrants, depending on the political and security situation in the country as well as in neighbouring countries. Refugees originate from a diverse range of countries, including Syria, Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia, Palestine, Ethiopia, Iraq and Yemen, and they reside mainly in urban centres and coastal towns without the establishment of formal camps or settlements.

The state is not party to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol, but ratified the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa. Libya has yet to implement the OAU Convention through the adoption of asylum-related legislation or procedures. As a result, all non-Libyans, regardless of their status or protection needs, including, refugees and asylum-seekers, fall under national immigration laws and are regarded as illegal immigrants. Libyan legal framework criminalizes illegal entry and exit which results in arbitrary detention of individuals who are detained for indefinite periods without access to due process or alternatives to detention. The international community engages in expanding third country solutions through increasing resettlement quotas as well as access to other legal pathways for refugees and asylum-seekers at heightened protection risks.