MSF documents harrowing accounts of torture, abuse, and legal neglect faced by migrants on Mediterranean routes—many of them in countries labelled “safe” by EU institutions.
Hamed Karimi – 4 July 2025
Palermo, Italy — A new report by Mhttps://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/édecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has uncovered the shocking scale of torture endured by refugees and migrants along the Central Mediterranean route, calling into question the legal and moral framework of European migration policy. Based on direct support to 160 survivors between January 2023 and February 2025 in Palermo, the findings are a brutal indictment of the human costs behind Europe’s border policies.
The report—titled “INHUMAN” and released on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture—draws on medical records, psychological evaluations, and firsthand testimonies from survivors treated by MSF and its partners, including the University Hospital “Paolo Giaccone” and the University of Palermo.
A Route of Violence, Not Safety
Among the most disturbing findings:
- 82% of torture incidents occurred in transit countries, particularly Libya and Tunisia.
- Over one-third took place in countries officially classified as “safe” by the Italian government and European Commission, including Algeria, Bangladesh, and Senegal.
- Many survivors were tortured multiple times in different countries—some in as many as three.
“Torture is not the exception—it’s a pattern,” the report warns. “These routes are not corridors to safety but systems of violence, degradation, and exploitation.”
Torture as Extortion and Control
The Palermo team recorded 181 distinct torture events, many involving traffickers (60.3%) or law enforcement officials (29%). Migrants recounted forced labor, electric shocks, sexual abuse, and a particularly brutal form of torture called falanga—severe beatings on the soles of the feet.
One survivor from Gambia described being tortured in Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Libya. Another, a woman from Mali, spoke of being sold into slavery and repeatedly raped in Libya after fleeing female genital mutilation in her home country.
“They tortured me, forced me to watch my wife being raped, and told me they would kill her if I resisted,” said a male survivor from Cameroon.
Gender-Based Violence: A Hidden Epidemic
Of the 40 women supported by the Palermo programme, 80% had endured sexual or gender-based violence. More than 30% had experienced or were at risk of female genital mutilation. Yet these women often remain invisible in the broader public narrative due to their smaller numerical presence on migration routes.
The report emphasizes that women and LGBTQ+ migrants, while fewer in number, face disproportionately high exposure to torture, and urgently require gender-sensitive identification and support mechanisms.
Italy’s Fragile System: Legal Gaps and Structural Neglect
While Italy introduced guidelines in 2017 for the treatment and rehabilitation of torture survivors, MSF finds their implementation to be inconsistent, underfunded, and structurally inadequate. Palermo’s integrated care model—combining medical, psychological, and legal support—remains an isolated exception, not the rule.
- Only 22% of the survivors hold official refugee status.
- 15% are stuck in legal limbo, merely awaiting decisions.
- 6% rely on temporary medical permits that do not guarantee long-term protection or integration.
Legal precariousness, combined with psychological trauma, pushes many survivors into destitution, isolation, and retraumatization—a reality worsened by long delays in residence permits, restricted healthcare access, and language barriers.
MSF’s Call to Action: Europe Must Not Look Away
The report calls for urgent reforms, including:
- Full implementation of Italy’s rehabilitation guidelines across regions.
- Increased funding for reception and healthcare systems.
- Deployment of intercultural mediators to ensure inclusive care.
- Abolition of restrictive migration policies that expose people to danger.
- And critically, the recognition that transit countries like Libya and Tunisia are not safe for return or cooperation agreements.
Why This Matters to Europe
For policymakers, academics, and media in the European Union, this report is more than a humanitarian plea—it is legal evidence of ongoing breaches of international conventions. It questions the moral legitimacy of EU migration deals, the “safe country” designation list, and the efficacy of rehabilitation promises made under the UN Convention Against Torture.
For citizens and institutions across Europe, it is a chance to amplify the voices of survivors, to recognize that the path to safety must not be paved with violence, and to pressure governments for policies rooted in dignity and justice.
Read also : Campaign to End Border Violence Launches with Goal of One Million Signatures
📖 Full Report:
👉 MSF – INHUMAN: Torture along the Mediterranean migration route (2025)
