US Plans First Deportations of Migrants to Libya This Week

WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) – The United States may deport migrants to Libya for the first time this week, according to three U.S. officials. This move comes despite Washington‘s documented concerns about the treatment of detainees in Libya.

Two of the officials indicated that the U.S. military could transport migrants to the North African country as soon as May 7, but they noted that these plans are still subject to change. The Pentagon redirected inquiries to the White House, but there was no immediate response from the White House, State Department, or Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

As of May 5, the Trump administration has deported approximately 152,000 individuals, according to DHS figures. There is currently no information on how many migrants might be sent to Libya, or their nationalities.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested last week that the government is not satisfied with just deportations to El Salvador. “We want to send you some of the most despicable human beings, will you do this as a favor to us?” he said during a cabinet meeting on April 30. He further mentioned, “And the further away from America, the better.”

The Trump administration has been actively looking for additional countries for deportations, including Libya, for several weeks. However, it remains unclear whether a formal agreement exists with Libyan officials regarding the acceptance of deportees from other nations.

The U.S. State Department’s 2024 human rights report criticized Libya for its “harsh and life-threatening prison conditions” and its practices of “arbitrary arrest or detention.” U.S. courts have temporarily halted the administration’s efforts to deport a group of Venezuelan migrants accused of gang affiliations.

Libya has been embroiled in conflict since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising and has been divided between eastern and western factions since 2014. A Government of National Unity was established in Tripoli in 2021 but faces legitimacy challenges from the rival House of Representatives based in Benghazi.