On Saturday, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) strongly condemned a reported plan by US President Donald Trump’s administration to deport migrants from the United States to Libya, calling the move a blatant violation of international law and a serious threat to the lives of vulnerable individuals.
The organization warned that Libya is not a safe destination for deportation, pointing to its record of systematic human rights abuses against migrants, including torture, arbitrary detention, and inhumane conditions in detention centers.
HRW stressed that sending people to Libya, where the state lacks both capacity and legal safeguards to protect asylum seekers, would likely result in severe mistreatment and violate the internationally recognized principle of non-refoulement.
The principle of non-refoulement prohibits countries from returning individuals to territories where they face a credible risk of persecution, torture, or inhuman treatment.
According to HRW, credible reports indicate that several migrants currently held in U.S. detention centers in Texas have been notified, verbally or in writing, of pending deportations to Libya. These individuals reportedly include nationals from the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, and Mexico. Alarmingly, these deportations are allegedly proceeding despite existing court rulings that prohibit forced removals in certain cases.
HRW highlighted that Libya is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and has no national asylum law, leaving deported individuals with virtually no legal recourse or protection. The organization emphasized that these deportations, if carried out, would not only be unlawful but would expose detainees to irreversible harm.
HRW has urged US authorities to immediately halt any plans to deport migrants to Libya and called on the international community to oppose similar policies. The organization also warned that such actions risk setting a dangerous precedent that could erode global refugee protections.
