Hundreds in Libya protest against migrants, refugees

Hundreds of Libyans gathered outside the UN refugee agency headquarters in Tripoli on Thursday to protest against irregular migrants and refugees whom they say should leave Libya.

Demonstrators chanted "Libya belongs to Libyans" among other chants and called for the closure of the UNHCR headquarters in the capital.

They accused the UN agency of seeking to settle irregular migrants in the North African country.

Protesters were seen holding signs reading: "Our love for our country is not racism" and "Libya is not the world's garbage bin".

Libya is a key departure point for irregular migrants seeking to reach Europe by crossing the Mediterranean.

As of mid-2024, the International Organization for Migration estimated that around 900,000 migrants and refugees were living in Libya.

Many of them are Sudanese refugees who have fled war in their home country.

The UN mission in Libya in a statement said it "refutes allegations of migrant resettlement to Libya".

"The UN in Libya reiterates that none of its agencies, including UNHCR, implement any resettlement programmes to Libya," it said.

The mission said it was "concerned about the spread of misinformation, disinformation and hate speech regarding the work of the UN" in the country.