Authorities suspend 10 international aid groups providing assistance to migrants

Cairo – The Libyan authorities ordered 10 international aid organizations to suspend close operations and offices, accusing groups of violation of local laws, offering help to African migrants.

The internal security agency said in a statement that humanitarian organizations violate the law by providing different forms of assistance that would help reinstall African migrants in the country.

“We say that the project to solve the illegal immigrants of African nationalities in the country is a hostile activity that aims at Libyan demograph,” ISA said on Wednesday.

Libya has plunged into chaos after a NATO supported revolt was overturned and killed the dictator for a long time Moammar Gadhafi In 2011. The country was separated, with rival administrations in the east and west, supported by dishonest military and foreign governments.

Libya, who shares the borders with six nations and has a long coast throughout the Mediterranean, is a main transit point for migrants running from war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East to look for better lives in Europe. The International Migration Organization estimates that about 787,000 migrants and refugees from various nationalities live in Libya at 2024.

The list of aid groups announced by the Agency includes borders without border, the Norwegian refugee council, the Danish refugee Council, Terre des Hommes, which, act, Inter Sos and the Italian organization Cesvi. Many of these organizations immediately provided crucially relief during devastating floods in the country that killed thousands in 2023.

ISA said that organizations are suspected of money laundering, because they have avoided transparency in the way financial transfers are made for their projects and how they can change foreign currency for local currency.

Salem Ghaith, ISA spokesman, said during a press conference that strict legal measures will be taken against non -governmental organizations, in addition to closing their offices. He said they had illegally offered help, varying from cash, clothing, food, housing and medical assistance, which helped establish the Migrants initially on the way to Europe.

“As a result, there is no need for them to risk crossing the seas and migrate to Europe, turning Libya into a country of destination, rather than a transit,” Ghaith said.

MSF, the abbreviation for the French names of doctors without borders, is among the organizations concerned. Said in an update In February, that migrants in Libya are experiencing violence and are often denied health care.

“They live in precarious conditions and are subjected to a series of violence and abuse, both inside and outside the country’s detention centers. Abduct, subject to extortion and traffic practices, aggressed or abused, their access to medical assistance is strongly prevented in a moment when they need desperately,” the MSF has read.

The Libyan government agency said that the Norwegian Council for refugees has provided illegal migrants financial aid, food delivery, cleaning materials, clothing and medicines, without the knowledge or permission of Libyan authorities, which violates the provisions of the country that addresses “state security offenses”.

Similarly, the Agency claims that International Relief has violated the law by providing medical services to illegal migrants, hiring government health workers without approval of the Ministry of Health and using one of the organization’s deposits to store medicines in a way that does not meet the legal standards of the state for medical storage.