Libyan authorities are intensifying crackdowns on migrants through mass arrests, arbitrary detentions, and illegal expulsions, Amnesty International warned on Tuesday.
The human rights organisation expressed concern over xenophobic and racist statements by Libyan officials, which have fuelled hostile protests against migrants, self-defence measures, and online hate speech.
In May, Libya’s Directorate for Combating Illegal Migration (DCIM) in the east revealed that between 7,000 and 8,000 migrants had been arrested across eastern and southern Libya, including 4,500 foreign nationals, awaiting deportation.
The DCIM reportedly told EU representatives that Libya would not serve as a “resettlement land for Africans,” according to Amnesty.
In early June, Libyan authorities issued decisions rejecting migrant “resettlement” and began implementing a national deportation programme, expelling thousands of people without due process.
These actions coincided with xenophobic demonstrations in Tripoli, where protestors chanted "No resettlement," as well as a surge in racist and xenophobic posts on social media platforms.
Amnesty also criticised the European Union for seeking to deepen its collaboration with Libya on migration management. This includes the planned establishment of a maritime rescue coordination centre in Benghazi, Libya’s second-largest city.
The organisation argued that the current crisis reflects widespread and systematic human rights violations against refugees and migrants in Libya, perpetuated with the active support of the EU and its Member States.
