Eastern Libyan authorities have deported a high-level European delegation including EU Commissioner for Migration Magnus Brunner and the interior ministers of Italy, Greece, and Malta accusing them of violating diplomatic protocol.
The group was turned away shortly after arriving in Benghazi, where the eastern government, led by Prime Minister Osama Hammad, declared them “persona non-grata” for allegedly entering without proper clearance and first visiting rival Tripoli in the west.
The eastern administration stated that the delegation was in “flagrant contravention of established diplomatic norms and international conventions, and through actions that demonstrably disregard Libyan national sovereignty.” It urged foreign representatives to respect “the principle of reciprocity, as enshrined in international agreements, treaties, and diplomatic custom.”
Though the visit aimed to strengthen cooperation on migration control, particularly to curb migrant boats leaving Libya for Europe, the fallout highlights the deep divisions within Libya’s fractured leadership.
Greek Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hadzidakis criticized the move as unconstructive, while Brunner downplayed the incident, noting that while “the meetings planned in Benghazi could not take place in the end,” discussions in Tripoli went ahead and focused on reaffirming a joint commitment to combat migrant smuggling.
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