A senior Libyan diplomatic source confirmed that Swiss authorities have suspended the issuance of visas for newly appointed Libyan diplomats assigned to the Permanent Mission of Libya to the United Nations in Geneva.
The suspension comes after a substantial accumulation of unpaid financial obligations linked to the mission, including debts for healthcare services, school fees, telecommunications, and rental contracts.
According to the source, the situation has deteriorated to the point of requiring immediate intervention from the Foreign Minister and other responsible bodies in Tripoli.
He described a series of “serious administrative and financial failures” within the mission, adding that the crisis is a direct result of mismanagement by its leadership and the failure to address essential expenditures for months.
Swiss authorities informed Libya that visa procedures will not resume unless all outstanding debts are fully settled. The source revealed that significant amounts of money were spent on luxury housing and personal expenses while the Libyan state-owned guesthouse in Geneva remained unused for years. Its prolonged abandonment eventually resulted in a court ruling allowing the Swiss government to confiscate the property, a development confirmed by documents reviewed by Al-Wasat.
The impact of the financial crisis has fallen heavily on mission employees. Several staff members have gone months without salaries, while others who completed their service were not paid their final dues, forcing some to leave Switzerland while facing legal complications tied to unpaid bills and overdue residency fees. The situation has now led real estate agencies in Geneva to refuse renting apartments to Libyan diplomats due to the mission’s history of unpaid invoices and unresolved disputes with landlords.
Adding to the pressure, Swiss hospitals and clinics filed formal complaints over unpaid medical bills for Libyan officials and their families, prompting Swiss authorities to tighten their handling of all official dealings with the Libyan mission.
