Migrants often endure perilous journeys, be it crossing the Darien Gap on foot, the Mediterranean Sea in plastic dinghies, or the Sahara Desert under extreme heat. Along the way, there can be people who seek to exploit these migrants, as the BBC reported was the case for at least 300 Iraqi Kurds who were captured by Libyan militias in the North African country last summer. Over 100 have since been flown back to Kurdish-held areas of Iraq, some bearing scars that suggest forced operations to steal organs may have taken place. It’s not clear how many remain captive.
Hard Numbers
Iraqi Kurdish migrants’ perilous journey
Will Fitzpatrick
By Zac WeiszJune 09, 2026
Zac Weisz
Zac reports on global affairs, covering everything from battles between judicial branches and political leaders, to conflicts in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. With the Trump administration keen to alter the world order, though, there’s a heavy emphasis right now on US politics – an area with which he is intimately familiar. Prior to joining GZERO, Zac was a senior national politics correspondent at National Journal, where he covered the 2024 presidential election from its inception to the dramatic finish, as well as major congressional actions during the Biden administration. Prior to journalism, Zac worked as an economic analyst for Oxford Economics, calculating the impact of various tax policies, and of Britain’s exit from the European Union. Born in London, he currently resides in New York City, where you can find him playing football (the original version) or watching it on television while attempting to cook up a storm.
