The decision was announced late Wednesday, October 28, in a statement published on the administration’s official Facebook page, Rooters reported on Thursday. The authorities did not provide a reason for the new restrictions.
The statement said the Interior Ministry would be responsible for implementing the ban and taking steps to deport Afghan and Iranian nationals who do not hold valid residence permits in Libya.
However,
there's more than one way to skin a cat...
the decree includes exemptions for accredited diplomatic and consular personnel and their eligible family members. It also exempts people working in medicine and education, including related health professions, provided they obtain the required approvals and valid work authorisations from the relevant authorities.
The decision was issued by the administration based in eastern Libya, which is separate from the internationally recognised government headquartered in Tripoli
...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
in the west.
ENTRY RESTRICTIONS EXPANDED
The latest measure follows a similar decision in June, when the eastern administration barred nationals of Sudan
...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans..., Eritrea
...is run by the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), with about the amounts of democracy and justice you'd expect from a party with that name. National elections have been periodically scheduled and cancelled; none have ever been held in the country. The president, Isaias Afewerki, has been in office since independence in 1993 and will probably die there of old age...
, Æthiopia and Somalia from entering through Libya’s land, sea and air ports.
At the time, the administration described the move as part of a reorganization of the entry of foreign nationals. The latest announcement did not explain whether the restrictions on Afghan and Iranian nationals were based on the same rationale.
Libya has been divided between rival administrations since 2014. The eastern-based government, headed by Osama Hamad, is allied with military commander Khalifa Haftar
...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy, so it's kind of hard to describe him as a Qadaffy holdover. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all. Actually, he is, but slowly...
, who controls eastern Libya and large parts of the south. The government led by Abdulhamid Dbeibah is based in Tripoli and is internationally recognised.
LIBYA REMAINS A MAJOR MIGRATION ROUTE
Libya has become a key transit country for
...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum...
across the Mediterranean Sea. Many attempt the dangerous crossing in boats, while others remain in Libya for extended periods.
According to United Nations
...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks...
data cited by Rooters, Libya was home to more than 900,000
The country’s migration system has also drawn sustained criticism from human-rights organizations. Amnesty International and UN Sherlocks have documented serious abuses against
The new restrictions could further affect the movement of Afghan and Iranian nationals seeking to enter or remain in eastern Libya. The administration has not publicly explained the reasons for targeting the two nationalities, and the practical impact of the decision remains unclear.