Eastern Libya Bans Entry for Nationals of Four African Countries

Eastern Libyan authorities, based in Benghazi and overseen by Marshal Khalifa Haftar, have implemented a sweeping entry ban targeting nationals from Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. The decision, announced Tuesday, prohibits entry via land, sea, and air routes for individuals from these four African nations.

Exceptions to the ban are limited to diplomatic and consular missions, as well as foreign personnel employed in education and health sectors holding valid work contracts within Libya. The directive calls for immediate and widespread application, also mandating the deportation of any foreign nationals found without valid residency permits.

This move comes after a significant security campaign by the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Haftar, resulted in the detention of numerous migrants deemed to be in the country irregularly. The ban also follows a wave of anti-migrant protests, fueled partly by social media posts falsely claiming the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) was issuing asylum permits, a claim the agency has repeatedly denied. Libya has been a critical transit point for migrants seeking to reach Europe since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi.