On Wednesday, Libyan authorities declared that they had suspended the activities of 10 international humanitarian organisations, claiming that their efforts to settle African migrants in the country were hostile to national security.
Libya, which remains divided between rival administrations, is a key transit point for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa seeking to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.
A spokesperson for Libya’s Internal Security Agency (ISA), Salem Gheith, claimed that the banned NGOs were engaged in activities that threatened the country’s security.
“The plan to settle migrants of African origin in Libya is considered a hostile act aimed at altering the country’s demographic composition and posing a threat to Libyan society,” Gheith said at a press conference.
As a result, several aid organisations, including the Norwegian Refugee Council, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Terre des Hommes, and CESVI, have been ordered to halt operations, with their offices in Tripoli shut down.
The move follows a letter obtained by AFP in which 17 diplomats from European nations and a senior UN official accused the ISA of cracking down on humanitarian workers.
According to the March 27 letter, at least 18 staff members from six international NGOs were summoned for questioning, with some having their passports confiscated.
The ISA reportedly forced these workers to resign and sign written pledges never to work for an NGO again.
The letter, addressed to the Tripoli-based foreign ministry, warned that these measures risked severely disrupting humanitarian aid efforts in Libya, with several organisations suspending their activities as a precaution.
Since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that led to the overthrow and killing of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has struggled with political instability and armed conflict, turning it into a hotspot for human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
While the UN estimates there are over 700,000 migrants in Libya, authorities claim the real number is much higher.
Gheith accused the European Union of exploiting Libya’s instability, using NGOs as a “tool” to resettle migrants, and even engaging in money laundering.
Last month, Tripoli-based Interior Minister Imad Trabelsi reiterated that Libya “will not bear the burden of illegal immigration alone” and “will not become a settlement zone” for migrants seeking to reach Europe.
The European Union, France, Britain, and other countries have urged Libya to reconsider its decision, warning that blocking humanitarian aid groups will impact access to primary healthcare for vulnerable populations.
The diplomats’ letter called on authorities to allow NGOs to resume operations safely and reopen their offices as soon as possible.
