Tripoli, Libya. Hundreds of Libyan demonstrators blocked the office of the U.N. refugee agency in Tripoli on Thursday during a protest against migrants who have travelled to the country in search of work or passage to Europe.
Protest at UNHCR office
The demonstrators gathered in front of UNHCR’s main office in Tripoli’s Sarraj neighbourhood, chanting slogans including “No, No to settlement, Libya only for Libyans” and “Get out of Libya, take them all out of Libya.”
They erected tents, brought a truck full of sand and closed the main gate of the building with a barrier while carrying signs reading “No to intruders in our country, take them out.”
Migration route and labour market
Since a NATO-backed uprising in 2011, Libya has become a North African transit route for hundreds of thousands of migrants fleeing conflict and poverty, often in sub-Saharan Africa, with many attempting dangerous journeys across the desert or the Mediterranean.
Libya’s oil-dependent economy also attracts migrants seeking work, and many take menial jobs in sectors including cleaning and construction that Libyans are reluctant to fill.
Recent demonstrations and U.N. response
Thursday’s protest was the largest of several recent demonstrations against migrants, who are blamed by some Libyans for social and economic problems that have become more visible during 15 years of conflict and political division in the country.
Some demonstrators later marched to the office of the U.N. mission in Libya.
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya said it affirmed Libyans’ right to peaceful expression based on accurate information and condemned any incitement to violence against U.N. staff or premises.
It said there is no U.N. resettlement programme in Libya and added that UNHCR works to help people fleeing war with solutions outside Libya, including evacuation to third countries and voluntary return when conditions allow.
UNHCR did not respond to a request for comment.
