Hundreds of Libyan demonstrators blockaded the United Nations refugee agency's office in Tripoli on Thursday, protesting against the presence of migrants seeking work or passage to Europe. Protesters demanded the removal of migrants from Libya, expressing sentiments that Libya should be exclusively for Libyans.
The demonstrators gathered at the UNHCR's main office in the Sarraj neighborhood, chanting slogans such as "No, No to settlement, Libya only for Libyans" and "Get out of Libya, take them all out of Libya." They erected tents and blocked the building's main gate with a sand-filled truck, displaying signs that read "No to intruders in our country, take them out."
Since the 2011 uprising, Libya has become a crucial transit route for hundreds of thousands of migrants fleeing conflict and poverty, primarily from sub-Saharan Africa. The country's oil-dependent economy also attracts migrants seeking employment in sectors like cleaning and construction, which many Libyans are unwilling to do.
Thursday's protest was the largest of several recent demonstrations against migrants, who are increasingly blamed by some Libyans for escalating social and economic issues compounded by 15 years of conflict and political division. Some protesters later marched towards the office of the UN mission in Libya.
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya affirmed the right to peaceful protest based on accurate information and condemned any incitement to violence against UN staff or premises. It clarified that there is no UN resettlement program in Libya and that UNHCR focuses on assisting refugees with solutions outside the country, including evacuations and voluntary returns.
One demonstrator, Ahmad al-Ghasa, attributed break-ins and assaults to migrants and complained about them sleeping in the streets, stating, "These phenomena were not present in Libyan society before." Libya, with an estimated population of seven million, hosts over 900,000 migrants according to UN figures. The acting foreign minister, Taher al-Baour, stated on Wednesday that there is no plan to settle migrants in Libya, asserting the country's inability to accommodate such numbers and advising against blaming migrants for Libya's political and security challenges.
