Libya's eastern government imposes entry ban on citizens of four African nations

As of June 2026, the eastern-based parallel government of Libya has prohibited the entry of nationals from Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. This decree entirely restricts citizens from these four Sub-Saharan African nations from accessing eastern Libyan territory through all land, sea, and air ports.
The restrictions do not extend to accredited diplomats, consular missions, their families, and certain foreign workers in the health and education sectors.The decree was enacted by the Benghazi-based parallel government, led by Osama Hamad, which maintains a close alliance with military commander Khalifa Haftar. This administration functions independently from the United Nations-supported government situated in Tripoli.An official source from the eastern government indicated that this policy aims to "reorganize the entry of foreign nationals" and to mitigate the significant flow of irregular migration towards Europe.With Libya currently hosting an estimated 900,000 to 3 million migrants, regional authorities have voiced increasing concerns regarding long-term settlement and border security. Sudanese nationals presently represent the largest single group of refugees and migrants in the country.This entry prohibition follows an intensified domestic crackdown, which has led to the widespread arrest and deportation of thousands of Sub-Saharan migrants and refugees.The UN has conveyed serious concern over the escalating pressure on migrants and refugees, whose numbers in Libya have recently surpassed 900,000. Human rights investigators have criticized the conditions within Libyan detention centers, highlighting reports of abuse, forced labor, and torture.Human Rights Organizations, including Amnesty International, have denounced the recent mass crackdowns and arrests of thousands of refugees and migrants, citing rising regional tensions and hostility towards refugee resettlement.Nevertheless, the governments of Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia have not provided formal unified responses. All the same, citizens from these nations continue to be stranded or are increasingly endangered as smugglers frequently cram migrants into unsafe, unseaworthy vessels crossing the Mediterranean.The European Union has predominantly abstained from making official comments regarding this particular domestic policy, although European countries have historically exerted pressure on Libya to reinforce its northern coastlines in order to mitigate irregular migration and human trafficking across the Mediterranean.The internationally recognized government situated in Tripoli has not implemented the same extensive ban, underscoring the persistent political fragmentation within the country following the 2011 downfall of Muammar Gaddafi's regime.