For the first time in years, Libya’s rival authorities are united on a single issue: an aggressive campaign against migrants and refugees. Using inflammatory anti-migrant rhetoric, authorities are spreading rumors that migrants will be permanently “settled” in the country. The current campaign includes mass arrests, detentions and deportations.

Advocates say that Libyan officials are using the EU’s playbook of couching anti-migrant policies in the language of securing borders. Meanwhile, the EU continues to expand migration cooperation with Libyan authorities, reinforcing the same deterrence policies that leave migrants trapped in exploitation as well as the legitimizing and financing abusive practices.

State sanctioned xenophobia putting migrants at risk

The crackdown ramped up following state-fueled rumors that non-citizens may permanently “settle” in Libya. Consequently, this has sparked widespread anti-migrant protests under the slogan “No to Settlement.” Demonstrators have blocked access to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) headquarters in Tripoli.

At the same time, security forces and affiliated armed groups are carrying out mass roundups of migrants without due process, while state-tolerated vigilantes assault and extort Black migrants on the streets. Rights agencies have expressed concerns about thousands of migrants being detained in inhumane conditions pending deportation.

According to the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP):

In eastern Libya, the Directorate to Counter Illegal Migration announced on June 11 that it had ramped up operations under orders from the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF). The agency reported holding 7,596 people pending deportation, adding that 10,133 migrants had already been expelled in recent months.

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