The Trump administration is under fire following reports that it is planning to deport an unspecified group of migrants to Libya, a country the U.S. State Department itself has condemned for “life-threatening” prison conditions and widespread human rights abuses.
According to Reuters, three unnamed U.S. officials confirmed the administration’s intent to carry out the deportations as early as this week. Two officials indicated that flights to the North African nation could occur as soon as Wednesday, though plans remain fluid. The New York Times also reported similar confirmations from a U.S. official.
The nationalities of the migrants remain unclear, and Libya’s provisional Government of National Unity has publicly denied any agreement to accept deportees, stating there had been no coordination or consent given.
Libya has long served as a dangerous bottleneck for migrants and refugees attempting to reach Europe, with numerous human rights organizations documenting the brutal realities of life inside Libyan detention centers. These centers, often controlled by militias and smugglers, are plagued by overcrowding, torture, sexual abuse, and forced labor.
In its most recent human rights report, the U.S. State Department criticized Libya for “harsh and life-threatening prison conditions” and “arbitrary arrest or detention,” highlighting that migrants, including children, are often held indefinitely without due process or access to immigration courts.
The Trump administration has yet to publicly comment on the reported deportation plans. Requests for responses from the White House, the State Department, and the Department of Homeland Security have gone unanswered.
International aid organizations and NGOs operating in the Mediterranean have condemned the reports. Mirka Schäfer of the German NGO SOS Humanity stated, “Libya is not a safe place for migrants and refugees. Survivors aboard our vessel Humanity 1 have visible signs of torture, bullet wounds, and psychological trauma.”
One refugee reportedly told aid workers, “In Libya, they sell people like they would sell bread.”
Luca Casarini, founder of the Italian NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans, offered sharp criticism: “This is not just about policy—it is an endorsement of horror. Trump is dragging our civilization toward the abyss by sending people to a hell on Earth.”
Trump, who made immigration a central tenet of his presidency, has repeatedly pushed for stricter enforcement. Since taking office, his administration has deported over 152,000 people and sought to expand the list of countries willing to accept U.S. deportees, including El Salvador and Guantánamo Bay detention facilities.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signaled last week that the administration intends to broaden its deportation destinations. “We are working with other countries to say: We want to send you some of the most despicable human beings,” Rubio said during a White House cabinet meeting. “And the further away from America, the better.”
As of now, the U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily blocked the deportation of a group of Venezuelans accused of gang activity. The Trump administration has asked the court to lift or narrow that order, invoking a rarely used wartime statute to justify its actions.
The legality and morality of deporting migrants to a conflict-ridden country such as Libya remain under intense scrutiny, with critics accusing the administration of knowingly placing vulnerable individuals in grave danger for the sake of political optics.
The story continues to develop.
