Benghazi — A comprehensive investigative report recently released by the “Sahara Intelligence” platform has uncovered a systemic and organized citizenship forgery crisis in Libya, revealing profound structural breaches within the state’s national identity infrastructure. The report is based on a rigorous analytical consolidation of 54 official publications issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Libya between late 2024 and March 2026.
According to the quantitative data documented in the report, the scale of the infiltration involves more than 3,533 individuals directly implicated in citizenship forgery cases, while 10,620 families are currently under examination and forensic review. Additionally, the investigation led to the flagging of 282,447 nationality files for immediate archival review and audit across 160 civil registry offices nationwide.
On the security front, the investigation warns of grave implications, documenting instances where forged Libyan identities were utilized by extremist elements for cross-border movement. The report highlights a critical case study involving two senior ISIS commanders who entered Libyan territory in September 2014 using forged Libyan passports obtained via Turkey. Furthermore, the report details what it terms the “Blood Tax,” a series of assassinations and kidnappings targeting 8 civil registry officials and technical experts who attempted to expose forgery networks or resist unauthorized modifications to the national database between 2013 and 2017.
Regarding the mechanisms employed, the report identifies seven primary structural categories of forgery, ranging from the unlawful insertion of foreign nationals into existing family records to direct electronic database manipulation by specialized IT personnel with system access. These investigations also revealed a functioning black market for Libyan identity, with documented prices for fraudulent documents ranging from a minimum of 600 LYD to over 70,000 LYD in high-complexity cases.
The report concludes that this crisis has led to a sharp decline in the international credibility of Libyan documentation. The Libyan passport currently ranks 93rd globally on the Henley Passport Index, the lowest ranking in North Africa, which has resulted in near-universal travel restrictions and high visa rejection rates for legitimate Libyan citizens. Analysts emphasized that restoring the integrity of the civil registry and establishing sovereign state control over the system’s source code are essential prerequisites for national security and the restoration of international mobility rights.