TRIPOLI (LIBYA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Libyan authorities across the country’s divided political landscape have unequivocally opposed the Trump administration’s reported plan to deport migrants to Libya, labeling it unacceptable and a violation of Libyan sovereignty.
This sharp rebuke comes after a U.S. federal judge in Boston, Brian Murphy, issued a temporary order blocking the Trump administration from proceeding with deportations to Libya. Judge Murphy argued that such deportations would “blatantly” defy an earlier injunction protecting migrants’ due process rights, including proper notification and the opportunity to legally contest their removal.
The ruling followed reports from U.S. officials, suggesting that deportation flights to Libya could begin as early as this week. The officials indicated the U.S. military may facilitate the transfers, despite the U.S. State Department’s own warnings about travel to Libya due to “crime, terrorism, and civil unrest.”
Libya’s response has been swift and unified. Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh of the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) declared on X that Libya “refuses to be a destination for the deportation of migrants under any pretext”. His statement echoed across Libya’s fragmented political spectrum.
The eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), led by General Khalifa Haftar, also strongly denied any coordination with the U.S. Major General Khaled Al-Mahjoub, Director of Moral Guidance for the LNA, dismissed the deportation reports as “completely false and unacceptable”, insisting there was no agreement to receive deportees and no such flights would be allowed through LNA-controlled airports or borders.
Abdel-Hadi Al-Hwaij, the Foreign Minister for the parliament-designated government in Benghazi, added to the chorus of rejections, categorically denying any agreements or negotiations regarding migrant settlement in Libya. He emphasized the country’s legal and diplomatic frameworks do not permit such arrangements, and warned against any attempt to politicize migration issues. Al-Hwaij reiterated Libya’s commitment to international law and human rights, calling for respect for its sovereignty during a time of political and security challenges.
Both the GNU and LNA stressed that Libya’s fragile internal situation, already burdened by migration management and ongoing political divisions, could be further destabilized by unilateral foreign decisions.
This latest controversy comes amid a broader crackdown on illegal immigration by President Trump’s administration, which recently revived controversial policies and even offered monetary incentives to encourage voluntary departure. Several other nations, including Rwanda, Benin, and Moldova, have been mentioned in media reports as potential deportation destinations, though none have confirmed any agreements.
– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS)
