Libya Expels Top Aid Groups Over Claims of ‘African Population Plot’
By Bizmart News Africa Desk
In a deeply controversial move, Libya’s internationally recognized government in Tripoli has ordered the expulsion of 10 humanitarian aid organizations, including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and the Norwegian Refugee Council, claiming they are part of a plot to alter the country’s ethnic composition by encouraging African migrants to settle permanently.
A spokesperson for the Internal Security Authority, Salem Gheit, accused the organizations of “a hostile act” aimed at changing Libya’s demographics and “threatening the balance of society.”
This announcement mirrors rhetoric used by Tunisia in 2023, which sparked international backlash for promoting anti-Black racism.
Humanitarian Workers Warn of Health Risks
MSF had already suspended operations in Libya earlier this month, citing staff harassment, interrogations, and obstruction by Libyan authorities. The organization expressed concern for patients and aid workers now left vulnerable.
UNHCR defended its presence, saying it operates with Libyan government approval and provides life-saving aid to refugees, not economic migrants. Spokesperson William Spindler emphasized that many displaced individuals in Libya are in fact fleeing violence, war, and persecution.
Widespread Abuse of Migrants in Libya
For years, Libya has been a dangerous transit point for migrants attempting to reach Europe. But many who remain face detention, abuse, and slavery-like conditions in militia-run camps. Harrowing reports detail rape, beatings, and racial abuse, with some victims recounting being called “disgusting Blacks” or treated as less than human.
Despite Libya’s own diverse African heritage, racism and xenophobia remain rampant.
“Even kids here are mean to us. They treat us as beasts and sorcerers… Are they not Africans themselves?” — Sudanese refugee trafficked in Libya
The aid groups’ removal threatens to deepen Libya’s humanitarian crisis, leaving thousands without medical care, food, or legal aid.
Bizmart Insight:
The politicization of humanitarian aid in Libya signals a dangerous shift, where racial demographics are weaponized in governance. The move risks further destabilizing the region, undermining refugee protections, and isolating Libya from critical international support.
