Libya expels aid groups accused of helping ‘African’ immigrants settle , organisations how concern

Libyan officials have alleged that humanitarian organizations are scheming to alter the nation’s ethnic composition by promoting the settlement of African migrants, and have instructed them to shut down their offices.

“This plan to settle migrants of African origin in our country represents a hostile act. It aims to change the demographic composition of the country and threatens the balance of Libyan society,” said Internal Security Authority spokesman Salem Gheit on Thursday.

Ten organizations have been identified – such as Doctors Without Borders, the UN refugee agency, and the Norwegian Refugee Council. This mirrors a comparable statement made by Tunisia two years prior, which was promptly criticized as anti-black racism.

Both countries are located on the Mediterranean coast and serve as vital transit hubs for African migrants journeying across the sea to Europe. Following the fall of Libya’s leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, there has been a collapse in governance, leading to the rise of armed militias and human-traffickers.

The nation has been split into two regions, each governed by a competing administration.

Militia members have been charged with operating detention facilities where migrants are either beaten to death or deprived of food, and the Libyan coastguard is sometimes accused of recording individuals in the sea instead of saving them. The authorities in Libya have not responded to these allegations.

The internationally recognized government located in the capital, Tripoli, issued the order on Thursday to expel the aid groups.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) suspended its work in Libya a week ago, describing a campaign of harassment by Libyan authorities “summoning and interrogating the staff of international NGOs” since mid-March.

“Our organisation is very concerned about the consequences that these orders will have on the health of patients and on the safety of humanitarian workers,” MSF said in a statement

In reaction to Thursday’s statement, the UN’s refugee organization (UNHCR) has supported its efforts, informing the BBC that the individuals it aids are not “migrants” but refugees in critical need. It also mentions that it functions with the approval of the Tripoli government.

“We are in contact with the authorities in Libya and are following up with them to seek clarity. UNHCR has been operating in Libya for over 30 years, providing humanitarian assistance to refugees, asylum-seekers and vulnerable Libyan communities,” spokesman William Spindler told.