Overview

• The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to deport migrants to Libya for the first time, with U.S. military flights potentially starting as soon as Wednesday.
• Officials have not disclosed the number or nationalities of the migrants targeted for deportation, and no formal agreement with Libyan authorities has been confirmed.
• Libya’s detention centers have been widely criticized for brutal conditions, arbitrary arrests, and reports of torture, as noted in the U.S. State Department’s human rights report.
• The U.S. has also approached nations including Angola, Benin, Eswatini, Moldova, and Rwanda for third-country deportation deals, though agreements remain uncertain.
• Libya remains politically divided since its 2011 civil war, with a U.N.-backed government in Tripoli and a rival administration in the east contributing to ongoing instability.