In Libya's capital Tripoli, hundreds of protesters closed the United Nations Refugee Agency's office during a protest against immigrants. The protesters gathered in front of the main building in the Sarraj district of the capital, demanding the office leave the country.
The crowd chanted slogans such as "No to settlement, Libya belongs only to Libyans" and "Get out of Libya, remove them all from Libya." The protesters also set up tents in front of the building and brought a truckload of sand to block the main gate with a barrier.
The banners carried by the protesters also contained statements that unwanted persons should not be present in the country. The action stood out as the largest in a series of protests recently organized against immigrants.
Why are immigrants targeted?
After the NATO-backed uprising in 2011, Libya became one of the important transit routes in North Africa. Many immigrants fleeing war and poverty mostly arrive from Sub-Saharan Africa, with some risking dangerous desert or Mediterranean journeys.
The oil-based economy also creates an attraction center for job-seeking immigrants. Many immigrants work in low-paid jobs in sectors such as cleaning and construction, which Libyans do not want to work in.
Some protesters associated immigrants with theft and attacks, claiming they sleep on the streets. One protester said such incidents had not been seen before in Libyan society.
It was also reported that some protesters marched to the United Nations mission office in Libya after the demonstration. The UN Libya Support Mission stated that it supports Libyans' peaceful right to expression as long as it is based on verified information and condemned calls for violence against UN personnel and facilities.
The mission also noted that there is no UN resettlement program in Libya. The statement said that UNHCR works to find solutions outside Libya for people who have left their country due to war, including evacuations to other countries and voluntary return when conditions are appropriate.
While it is estimated that about 7 million people live in Libya, it is stated that there are more than 900,000 immigrants in the country. This number makes the immigration debate even more visible amid the country's political division and long-standing conflicts.
Tahir el-Baour, the acting foreign minister in the internationally recognized government in Libya, also said in a television interview that there is no project to settle immigrants in the country. Baour stated that Libya cannot bear these numbers and that Libyans should not place all the responsibility for political and security problems caused by the rising number of immigrants on others.
The protest in Tripoli led to a renewed and intense debate on immigration in Libya, both through economic pressures and security concerns. The social tension in the country was also brought to the agenda of international institutions with the closure of the UN office.
