Three million illegal immigrants in Libya, 75 % of whom are families, constitute ”settlement” which Libyans reject – illegally transfer US$ 7 billion annually: Interior Minister Trabelsi
At a conference reviewing the results of the “National Programme for the Deportation of Illegal Immigrants’’ last Tuesday (2 December), Interior Minister Trabelsi said:
- The number of illegal immigrants in Libya is around three million, while European Union statistics estimate the number at only 1.5 million.
- No Sudanese immigrants are being deported illegally or forcibly returned.
- All those deported were requested by their home countries, and we are cooperating with the international community in accordance with the principle of burden sharing.
- Immigrants were deported via flights in accordance with legal procedures and in coordination with the embassies and missions of the countries concerned.
- 70% of immigrants are families which constitutes settlement.
- All Libyans reject the permanent settlement of illegal immigrants in Libya
- If the European Union wants to cooperate, we are ready to do so. However, as Minister of the Interior, I cannot take responsibility for piling up millions of illegal immigrants in Libya or causing this very big problem.
- From July 2024 to September 2025, the “National Programme for the Deportation of Illegal Migrants” saw the systematic deportation of thousands of immigrants, especially from Egypt, Chad, Nigeria, and Bangladesh, the interior minister noted.
- Thousands of immigrants will be deported to their home countries this December, in coordination with the missions of the countries to which they belong.
- “This month, we will target migrants from other countries, such as Syria, Somalia, Mali, and Chad.”
- illegal immigration causes significant economic problems because the Libyan state bears very high costs.
- “According to our estimates, migrants send $600 million to their families every month, which is more than US$ 7 billion a year, and this money goes to the black market, which hurts the national economy, as it is considered a drain on oil revenues and the Central Bank of Libya’s reserves.”
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