In pursuit of a better life, Youssef Al Arfi, a young Syrian national, went missing in conflict-torn Libya.
Like many Syrians escaping war and instability, he had hoped to find safety in Europe but was forced to take dangerous migration routes due to the continuing insecurity in his home country.
In March 2024, he departed from the coastal city of Zuwara, aiming to reach Italy through a smuggling network, after a failed attempt in 2023. On 7 March 2024, he called his family for the last time, informing them of his imminent departure. A few days later, he was intercepted at sea by the Libyan Coast Guard.
For more than a year, his family received no information about his fate. It was only on 23 June 2025 that they were contacted by an individual claiming to have been detained for a long period at the Mitiga detention centre alongside Youssef, after both men were handed over by the Coast Guard to the Al-Radaa militia (Deterrence Forces) in March 2024.
Case submitted to the UN
Acting on behalf of the family, Alkarama submitted his case to the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) in an effort to clarify his fate and whereabouts. Despite repeated requests to the Libyan embassy in Amman, the family, currently residing in Jordan, has received no official response.
The case is now before the UN, raising hopes that the truth about Al Arfi’s fate and location will finally come to light.