South Sudanese youth urge government action amid rising deaths on Libya migration route

South Sudanese youths have appealed to the government of South Sudan to urgently intervene following the continued deaths of young citizens attempting to migrate to Europe through the Libya route.

The appeal comes amid growing concern over the increasing number of South Sudanese youths leaving the country via irregular routes through West and North Africa, where many reportedly die each year due to starvation, harsh desert conditions, human trafficking, and other dangers along the journey.

Speaking to Aweil News Agency, a concerned citizen identified as Mayar Tong Wol, also known on Facebook as Yorrisco, a third-year student at the University of Juba in the Department of Social Work, said the ongoing loss of young lives is largely driven by unemployment and limited economic opportunities in the country.

Tong stressed that the lack of jobs has pushed many youths to risk their lives in search of better opportunities abroad. He urged the government to take immediate action by creating employment opportunities or, at minimum, enforcing strong measures to discourage and restrict unsafe migration.

“I appeal to our government to create job opportunities for fellow South Sudanese youths to prevent these continuous deaths happening along the Libya route,” Tong said. “If the government is unable to provide jobs at the moment, it should put strict measures in place to stop young people from leaving the country and falling victim to mass deaths while attempting to cross to Europe.”

The appeal follows reports that emerged on Sunday indicating that a South Sudanese youth had died of starvation while traveling toward Libya.

According to a report by Al Jazeera last year, at least 2,452 migrants and refugees died or went missing in 2025 while attempting to reach Europe through dangerous migration routes.