Prime Minister Dr. Osama Hamad emphasizes the importance of organized repatriation and rejects any attempt to settle illegal immigrants in the country while strengthening border control and operations against organized crime.
Soldecanarias.net / Adeje
On March 14, 2025, Libya’s Prime Minister, Dr. Osama Hamad, chaired a high-level meeting focused on controlling irregular immigration and related criminal activities. In a key gathering with various ministers and security agency chiefs, Hamad stressed his government’s firm stance against the settlement of illegal immigrants, emphasizing the need to implement organized and human rights-respecting repatriation programs.
During his address, the Prime Minister made it clear that any attempt to regularize the stay of irregular immigrants in the country, such as creating residential areas outside cities, would be an initial step toward repatriation, not a measure of nationalization. According to Hamad, the priority is to ensure the safe and humane return of immigrants to their home countries, avoiding any demographic disruption that could threaten Libya’s sovereignty and stability.
The meeting also addressed the situation at the country’s southern borders, where Libya has intensified efforts to curb human trafficking and smuggling. The Libyan Armed Forces, under the directives of the General Command, have carried out numerous operations to dismantle criminal networks and ensure the protection of border territories. The Prime Minister reaffirmed that the southern borders are not open, as some have claimed, and that the Libyan armed forces are fully committed to defending them.
Despite criticism and the lack of a strong international response, particularly from the UN mission in Libya, Hamad highlighted that the government is committed to security and human rights and that any attempt to destabilize the region will be met with determination.
«Libya will respect human rights, but will not allow its sovereignty to be threatened under the pretext of regulating the presence of illegal immigrants,» the Prime Minister stated, stressing that any calls for violence against immigrants would be rejected by the government and security forces.
The government has also worked to provide accommodation and basic assistance to immigrants and refugees, particularly those who have arrived from Sudan due to the conflict in that country. However, this does not imply a change in their repatriation policy, but rather temporary aid until the situation stabilizes in their home countries.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment to strengthen cooperation between various security agencies and continue operations against smuggling networks, with the goal of ensuring a safe and stable environment in Libya while advocating for a broader regional solution to immigration and forced displacement issues.
