Rival Libyan authorities are escalating a racist crackdown involving thousands of arrests, arbitrary detention and collective expulsions of refugees and migrants
Xenophobic rhetoric from officials is fueling abuses and rising anti-migrant protests and vigilantism
EU is seeking to deepen migration cooperation with these actors despite a record of grave abuses
The European Union is seeking to expand its migration cooperation with rival Libyan authorities and allied armed groups just as they have been escalating their campaign of racially discriminatory mass arrests, arbitrary detention, and unlawful collective expulsions of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants supported by xenophobic discourse, Amnesty International said today.
Over the past month, the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) and its rival eastern-based “Libyan Government”, allied to the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF) armed group, in de facto control of eastern and southern Libya, have embarked on a renewed crackdown against foreign nationals arresting thousands. Xenophobic and racist statements by officials have fueled a surge of anti-migrant protests, vigilantism and hate speech online.
