The US government is reportedly planning to deport migrants to Libya—a country where migrants are routinely trafficked, arbitrarily detained, and subjected to forced labor.
The deportations—operated by the US military—could begin as soon as this week.
Deportation to slavery
Libya is no safe place for migrants. Since 2011, it has become notorious as a site of systematic human trafficking and modern slavery. Armed groups often intercept migrants and refugees at sea or capture them, detaining them inhumanely for indefinite periods. In detention, migrants are subject to torture, forced labor, and sexual abuse. A 2023 UN report found that both state and non-state actors in Libya commit crimes against humanity with impunity. This includes impunity for enslavement and sexual violence against migrants.
CBS News reports,
“Libya has also gained infamy over its treatment of migrants seeking to reach Europe, with both advocates and U.S. officials finding that detainees in the North African country face brutal conditions, due process violations and even torture in immigration detention centers.”
The US State Department maintains a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory for Libya. It cites risks associated with traveling to Libya, including “crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict.” Despite these warnings, US officials are pursuing third-country deportation deals as part of a broader crackdown on migration.
Freedom United has long warned of the dangers of returning people to Libya. We have an ongoing campaign calling on the EU to end cooperation with the Libyan coast guard, whose returns to Libya contribute to the cycle of abuse.
Advocates file emergency motion
A group of attorneys and advocates filed an emergency motion in federal court to block the deportations. They warn that detained migrants from Mexico and Asia may be forcibly removed to Libya without proper legal process. Federal Judge Brian Murphy, who previously ruled against third-country deportations without legal notification, stated that deporting migrants to Libya would “clearly violate” his court order.
This push is part of a larger Trump administration effort to expand deportation arrangements beyond Latin America. The US is pursuing similar deals with Angola, Benin, Eswatini, Moldova, and Rwanda—efforts that have reportedly met with resistance. Angola, for instance, publicly denied agreeing to accept third-country deportees.
Libya is currently divided between two rival governments, with both factions denying they have agreed to accept deportees.
Treating migrants as commodities
These latest deportation plans from the US risk reinforcing a transnational system that treats migrants not as rights-holders but as commodities. While the EU is already under fire for funding interceptions at sea that return migrants to abuse in Libya, the US now risks following the same path—outsourcing migration control to states with well-documented human rights violations.
Without transparency or legal accountability, the line between deportation and trafficking grows dangerously thin.
Freedom United strongly opposes any policies that risk deporting people into known zones of abuse. Libya is not a safe destination. As long as migrants and refugees continue to be traded, trafficked, and exploited in Libyan detention centers, the international community must take action to end all complicity in these abuses.
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