Xenophobic protests and online hate fuel growing fear among migrants in Tripoli
Anti-migration rallies in Tripoli, backed by social-media hate campaigns, have intensified hostility toward Sub-Saharan migrants, while authorities have been criticised for inaction.
Since April, Tripoli has seen recurring anti-migrant rallies, most recently on 2 and 9 October, where participants shouted slogans like “Libya for Libyans” and “No to resettlement.” The protests are amplified by Facebook pages with tens of thousands of members that circulate racist imagery and false claims of a UN-backed resettlement plan. Migrants, including a 37-year-old Sierra Leonean named Albert G and a Cameroonian refugee known as Kingsley, describe increasing intimidation, arbitrary arrests and the inability to work safely.
In June, protesters blocked the UNHCR office, and in September an IOM response centre was stormed, leaving the Sub-Saharan community unsettled. The Government of National Unity condemned the violence but the interior ministry has not provided a response, prompting accusations of complacency. While some migrants consider leaving Libya, many remain trapped in a hostile environment where hate speech and sporadic attacks persist.
Why it matters
The surge in xenophobic protests threatens the safety of thousands of migrants in Libya and highlights governmental failure to protect vulnerable populations.
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