Reports indicate the Trump administration is planning to deport migrants to Libya, despite the State Department’s past condemnation of the country’s “life-threatening” prison conditions. While Libya’s provisional government denies these plans, unnamed US officials suggest deportations could begin soon.
Human rights groups are strongly condemning the move, citing Libya’s history of migrant abuse, torture, and human trafficking. They highlight the dangers migrants face in the war-torn country, including arbitrary detention, sexual violence, and even slavery, as documented by organizations like Amnesty International and MSF.
These reports emerge as the Trump administration seeks agreements with countries like Angola, Benin, and Rwanda to accept US deportees. This follows the deportation of hundreds of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador.
Critics point out that Libya is a major transit point for migrants, where they are vulnerable to exploitation by militias and smugglers. The US State Department itself has criticized Libya’s human rights record, particularly regarding the treatment of migrants. Aid agencies warn that European governments are complicit in this treatment through their cooperation with Libya on migration control.
