Libya’s Interior Minister, Imad Trabelsi, has revealed that an estimated three to four million migrants are currently in Libya illegally, adding that the government is “encouraging them to leave.”
Tensions flared on Tuesday when a scheduled visit by the interior ministers of Italy, Greece, and Malta, along with EU Commissioner for Migration Magnus Brunner, was abruptly canceled upon arrival at Benina Airport in Benghazi. The delegation was declared persona non grata by the eastern-based Libyan government, which accused them of violating national sovereignty, bypassing diplomatic protocols, and disregarding entry procedures for foreign officials.
The visit had been intended to launch new migration cooperation talks under the EU’s “Team Europe” framework, amid a sharp rise in departures from North African shores toward Europe.
In a statement, Eastern Prime Minister Oussama Saad Hammad condemned the visit as a “blatant violation” of both international conventions and Libyan law.
According to sources in Athens, the cancellation is likely linked to the delegation’s prior stop in Tripoli, the seat of Libya’s internationally recognised government. The eastern administration, aligned with General Khalifa Haftar, views such moves as an affront to its authority.
Commissioner Brunner briefly addressed the incident in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating that “the planned meetings in Benghazi could not take place,” but emphasised that talks in Tripoli had laid the groundwork for broader cooperation.
Local authorities insisted the delegation had failed to comply with Libya’s entry and movement regulations for foreign diplomats. After being denied access in Benghazi, the commissioner and ministers returned to Europe by air.
The diplomatic clash comes amid surging migrant flows in the central Mediterranean. More than 5,000 migrants from Libya have landed on Crete and the Greek island of Gavdos since June, raising concerns in Athens and Brussels.
In a letter ahead of last month’s EUCO summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made reference to the planned visit, stressing the need for continued support to Libyan authorities, particularly in search and rescue operations.
MK/lb/as/APA