Trump administration poised to deport migrants to Libya for first time

The administration of US President Donald Trump may begin deporting migrants to Libya as early as this week, three US officials told Reuters on May 6, in what would mark a dramatic escalation of the administration’s hardline immigration policies. If carried out, it would be the first time Washington deports individuals to Libya, a country it has previously criticised for its treatment of detainees.

According to two of the officials, the Pentagon is prepared to transport the migrants to the North African country using military aircraft, potentially as soon as May 7penta. However, they cautioned that the plans remain fluid and could still be altered at the last moment.

The Pentagon, when approached for comment, directed all inquiries to the White House. Neither the White House, State Department, nor the Department of Homeland Security responded immediately to Reuters' requests for comment.

It remains unclear how many individuals would be deported under this initiative, or what nationalities the deportees belong to. The officials did not specify whether those slated for deportation are currently detained or have received any form of legal due process.

Since taking office, President Trump has made immigration enforcement a cornerstone of his administration, significantly expanding deportation efforts. His government has surged military personnel to the southern US border and pledged to remove millions of undocumented immigrants from the country. According to figures from the Department of Homeland Security, 152,000 people had been deported as of May 5.

The Trump administration has employed a range of tactics to compel migrants to leave, including threats of heavy fines, stripping of legal status, and deportations to countries with notorious detention conditions, such as El Salvador and the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay.

Despite these efforts, the prospect of deporting individuals to Libya stands out given longstanding US concerns about the country’s detention conditions. In its most recent annual human rights report, the US State Department described Libya’s prison conditions as “harsh and life-threatening” and cited instances of “arbitrary arrest or detention.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week hinted at a broader push to expand the list of countries willing to accept deportees. Speaking during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Rubio said, “We are working with other countries to say: We want to send you some of the most despicable human beings, will you do this as a favor to us.” He added, “And the further away from America, the better.”

A fourth US official confirmed that Libya has been among several countries under consideration in recent weeks for future deportations. However, it is unclear whether Washington has reached a formal agreement with Libyan authorities to accept migrants, particularly those who are not Libyan nationals.

The legal groundwork for such deportations remains uncertain. On April 19, the US Supreme Court temporarily blocked the administration from deporting a group of Venezuelan migrants whom the government had accused of gang affiliation. The Trump administration has invoked a rarely used wartime statute to justify its deportation efforts and is currently urging the court to either lift or narrow its order.

If the deportations to Libya proceed, they would come against the backdrop of a country still deeply fractured. Since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has struggled with instability and division. In 2014, the country split into rival administrations governing the east and west.

Currently, a Tripoli-based Government of National Unity led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah was established in 2021 through a United Nations-backed process. However, the eastern-based House of Representatives in Benghazi no longer recognises the Dbeibah government’s legitimacy.

By Tamilla Hasanova