Port Sudan, March 13(Darfur 24)
Libyan authorities launched a major crackdown on foreigners in several Libyan cities, apprehending a large number of migrants, including Sudanese.
The campaigns come as a result of popular and official calls to incite against the presence of refugees in Libya. Demonstrations are expected to take place tomorrow, Friday, rejecting what they describe as the “resettlement of migrants” in the country.
Local sources from the cities of Tripoli and Misrata revealed to Darfur 24 that security forces raided refugee homes in the neighborhoods of Tajoura, the old city of Tripoli, and the Kharouba area of Misrata, resulting in the arrest of dozens of migrants, including Sudanese refugees.
Mustafa Ahmed, a resident of Tripoli, told Darfur 24 that a large-scale security campaign was carried out on Wednesday, during which a number of foreigners, including Sudanese, were arrested. Their fate remains unknown.
Videos and photos posted on Libyan social media showed scenes of arrested migrants, including Sudanese refugees.
In light of these developments, the UNHCR Libya office sent voice messages to refugees advising them to stay at home with children and avoid gatherings. This follows the decision to close the office for a week, starting Thursday.
The UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, warned of the continuing serious human rights violations against migrants and asylum seekers in Libya, including children, noting that they were subjected to torture and cruel, inhumane treatment.
Controversy has escalated in Libya over the issue of resettling irregular migrants, following the circulation of statements attributed to the Minister of Local Government, Badreddine Toumi, claiming his approval of a project that would make Libya a permanent settlement center for migrants seeking to cross to Europe.
The statements indicated that the minister confirmed, during a meeting with officials from the International Organization for Migration, Libya’s approval of the project. However, the Tebyan platform, affiliated with the Government of National Unity, denied the veracity of these statements, describing them as “misleading news with no basis in truth.”
The platform confirmed that the government’s position on the migration issue has not changed, explaining that the government affirmed, at the “Mediterranean Migration Forum” in July 2024, its categorical rejection of any projects aimed at settling migrants within Libyan territory.
The Supreme Council of State issued a statement expressing its concern over the circulating news about “the moves of some international organizations towards the so-called integration program,” affirming its categorical rejection of any attempt to settle migrants in Libya under any pretext.
The Coalition of Political Forces in Libya also issued a statement expressing concern over the circulation of this news, stressing the need to respect Libya’s sovereignty and sovereign decisions, and warning that such projects could exacerbate the security, economic, and social situation.
It is worth noting that Libya has received approximately 230,000 Sudanese refugees since the outbreak of the armed conflict in Sudan in April 2023, according to statistics from the UNHCR, which is based in the capital, Tripoli.