Hundreds of Libyans gathered outside the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) headquarters in the capital Tripoli on June 4 to protest against illegal migrants, whom they say must leave Libya.
Chanting "Libya belongs to Libyans," demonstrators called for the closure of the UNHCR office there. They held banners reading "Love for our country is not racism" and "Libya is not the world's garbage dump."
The protesters accused UNHCR of trying to settle illegal migrants in the North African nation. Since a NATO-backed uprising in 2011, Libya has become a transit point for hundreds of thousands of migrants fleeing conflict and poverty, often from sub-Saharan Africa, many undertaking perilous journeys across the desert or the Mediterranean.
The UN mission in Libya (UNSMIL) affirmed Libyans' right to express their views but warned against the spread of "misinformation and hate speech" related to the organization's work, which "contributes to rising tensions and incitement against national and international UN officials."
"UN agencies do not implement any program aimed at resettling migrants inside Libya, and any allegations to the contrary are completely unfounded," the mission said in a statement. UNHCR added that it is "working to find solutions outside Libya for those fleeing war, conflict, and persecution, including evacuation to third countries and voluntary return when circumstances permit."
The UN also condemned any incitement to violence or threats against UN staff, as well as acts of sabotage and attacks on its personnel and property.
The June 4 protest was the largest in a series of recent anti-migrant demonstrations in Libya, as some Libyans begin blaming migrants for the country's worsening social and economic problems after 15 years of conflict and political division.
Protesters pitched tents, brought a truck loaded with sand, and used barriers to block the building's main entrance, chanting "The Libyan people have spoken" and carrying banners reading "No to intruders in our country, take them out."
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Libya, with a population of about 7 million, currently hosts some 900,000 migrants, many of them Sudanese refugees fleeing civil war at home.
