Overview

• Eastern Libyan authorities in Benghazi blocked entry to a Team Europe delegation led by Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi and EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner, declaring them persona non grata over alleged protocol breaches.
• The mission had secured productive talks with Libya’s UN-backed Government of National Unity in Tripoli before being turned back at Benina airport by the parallel eastern administration aligned with General Khalifa Haftar.
• Italian officials describe the expulsion as a procedural misunderstanding unrelated to bilateral ties and emphasize the importance of preserving joint efforts on border security and migrant returns.
• Opposition parties in Rome have seized on the incident as a diplomatic embarrassment, criticizing the government’s handling of protocol and its impact on Italy’s international standing.
• EU leaders are now exploring whether to dispatch a technical emissary to Benghazi or convene discussions in a neutral location to break the impasse and restore collaboration on controlling irregular migration.