Tripoli, June 4 (IANS) Hundreds of Libyan protesters on Thursday afternoon shut down the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Tripoli, driven by concerns over what they described as the “settlement” of irregular migrants inside the country, according to local media reports and eyewitnesses.

The demonstrators gathered outside the agency’s headquarters in central Tripoli, chanting for the deportation of irregular migrants and rejecting any arrangements that could lead to their permanent stay in the country.

Video footage circulating on social media showed protesters blocking the compound’s entrances, with security forces deployed nearby, Xinhua news agency reported.

No clashes or injuries were immediately reported.

The protests follow days of growing debate in Libya over the issue of irregular migration, alongside increasing public and official calls for action.

Demonstrators also called for continued protests and sit-ins until all irregular migrants leave Libyan territory.

The UNHCR had not issued an immediate comment on the incident.

Libya remains a key transit hub for migrants seeking to reach Europe across the Mediterranean, taking advantage of its geographic location and extensive land and sea borders.

The UNHCR said on Tuesday that it does not implement any programs aimed at settling migrants in Libya and does not take over the role of state institutions in managing migration-related issues.

In statements aired by Libya’s Al-Ahrar TV, the agency said that the registration of refugees does not affect the state’s authority to manage migration or to make sovereign decisions regarding foreign nationals residing in the country.

The remarks come amid growing debate over migration issues in Libya. In recent weeks, activists and citizens staged protests outside the UN agency’s office in Tripoli, rejecting what they described as attempts to resettle migrants and refugees in Libya.

The agency has repeatedly denied such allegations, stressing that it does not implement any refugee resettlement programs in Libya and that its role is limited to providing humanitarian assistance in coordination with the Libyan authorities.

A report released by the UN refugee agency in April showed that more than 559,920 Sudanese refugees have entered Libya since the outbreak of the conflict in Sudan in April 2023, making it one of the largest displacement crises in the region in recent years.

–IANS

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