The Trump administration plans to transport a group of immigrants to Libya on a US military plane, according to American officials, another sharp escalation in a deportation program that has sparked widespread legal challenges and extensive political debate.
The nationalities of migrants were not immediately clear, but the journey to Libya, which carries the deportees, could leave after Wednesday, according to officials, who spoke on the condition that their identity was not disclosed because they were not allowed to discuss the operation.
The decision to send the deportees to Libya was amazing. The country is profitable, and human rights groups have described conditions in their network of “horrific” and “impressive” migrant detention centers.
Libya’s process is in line with the Trump administration’s efforts not only to deter migrants from trying to enter the country illegally, but also to send a strong message to those illegally present in the country that they can be deported to countries where they may face brutal conditions. Reuters earlier I mentioned The possibility of deporting the United States to Libya.
The planning of the journey to Libya has been kept tightly, and it can go out of its path due to the logistical, legal or diplomatic obstacles.
The White House refused to comment. The Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to the suspension requests.
The possible use of Libya comes as a destination after the administration has previously stopped anger A group of Venezuelans deported to El Salvador, Where they are detained in the utmost security in terrorism.
President Trump and his assistants described these men as violent gang members and cited a law in wartime rarely A challenge in the courts.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns against traveling to Libya “because of crime, terrorism, mines, unavailable lands, civil unrest, kidnapping and armed conflict.” The country is still divided after years of the civil war after the overthrow of its dictator, MUAMMAR GADDAFI. The United Nations Government recognized in Tripoli, western Libya, and another in Benghazi, led by the Emir of War, Khalifa Haftar, in the east.
The United States has only official relations with the Tripoli government. But the son of Mr. Haftar, Saddam, was in Washington last week, and He met many Trump administration officials. Mr. Trump was Frontial dealings in his first term With Mr. Haftar, who controls most of the profitable oil fields in Libya.
Libya runs a major crossing point for immigrants heading in Europe, and manages many detention facilities for refugees and migrants. Amnesty International described those sites “horrific” and “A Hellscape” In report 2021Who found evidence of “sexual violence, against men, women and children.” The global detention project says that the migrants detained in Libya bearing “physical abuse and torture”, forced work and even slavery.
There The annual report In human rights practices last year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs cited “harsh and life” conditions in Libya detention centers and found that migrants in those facilities, including children, had not had “access to immigration courts or legal procedures.”
Human rights groups say that European governments were involved in this treatment by working with Libya to intercept migrants heading on the continent and send them to detention centers.
“I was in these migrant prisons, not a place for immigrants,” said Friedrich Wire, a Libyan expert in Carnegie for the donations for international peace. “It is just a terrible place to empty anyone weak.”
Earlier this year, the Trump administration deported several hundred people to Panama from countries in the eastern hemisphere, including Iran and China. The immigrants, who said they did not know where they were going, were detained in a hotel for several days before they were transferred to a camp near the forest. Some migrants were later released from the Panamanian nursery.
Almost at the same time, US officials also deported a group of about 200 immigrants to Costa Rica from countries in the eastern hemisphere, including Iran. A lawsuit filed against the country argued that the deportation and subsequent detention in Costa Rica “may cause irreparable damage” to a group of children sent to the country.
After the United States has concluded a deal with El Salvador to take and imprison Venezuelan immigrants, Foreign Minister Marco Rubio said it was working to secure similar agreements with additional countries.
“I intend to continue to try to identify other countries ready to accept and imprison them as possible as possible The New York Times was told.
The planned use of a military plane for the trip to Libya comes after the Ministry of Defense helped transport migrants to sites such as India, Guatemala and Ecuador.
In late March, officials of the Ministry of Defense flew a group of Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador without any employee from the Ministry of Internal Security on board, according to court records. The journey took off from Guantenamo Bay, Cuba, to El Salvador and included four Veneers. A government file indicated that the Ministry of Internal Security did not “go” the plane that takes off for El Salvador.
Zolan Kanno-Yungs The reports contributed.
