Trump administration eyes Libya for next round of migrant deportations: Report
According to report, US officials said deportations may start this as early as this week, while program has already stirred controversy and opposition
ISTANBUL
The Trump administration is preparing to begin deporting migrants to the North African country of Libya, potentially expanding its mass deportation strategy to a country torn by conflict, CBS News reported Tuesday.
Two US officials familiar with the plans told CBS News that deportations could start as early as this week and would likely be carried out by the US military, in an expansion of an already controversial program.
According to the report, it remains unclear which migrants could be subject to removal under the proposed plan or whether they would be taken into custody by Libyan authorities upon arrival.
The US State Department currently warns Americans against traveling to Libya, citing risks including "crime, terrorism, unexploded landmines, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict."
In recent months, the US has arranged for third-country nationals from Asia and Africa to be sent to the Central American countries of Costa Rica and Panama. A group of Venezuelan men accused of gang affiliations was sent to El Salvador, which transferred them to a high-security prison. Controversially, the men had no due process to contest their alleged gang affiliations, with many friends, relatives, and lawyers arguing they were wrongly accused.
In the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, 29, who was married to a US citizen and had a court order barring his deportation, the Trump administration admitted he had been sent to El Salvador in error, but has refused to take any steps to bring him back, despite a Supreme Court ruling.
Libya has remained in turmoil since 2011, when longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi was ousted after four decades in power.
Last month, the UN special representative for Libya, Hanna Tetteh, told the UN Security Council that ordinary Libyans face daily crises, including economic hardship, insecurity, and political instability.
She called on the international community to work together on a "unified plan" to support a democratic state that addresses the Libyan people’s fundamental needs and fosters economic growth.
