Washington: President Donald Trump’s administration may deport migrants to Libya for the first time this week, three US officials said on Tuesday, as part of his immigration crackdown and despite America’s past condemnation of Libya’s harsh treatment of detainees.
Two of the officials said the US military could fly migrants to the North African country as soon as Wednesday, but stressed that plans could still change.
Trump has brought in a series of tough measures aimed at curbing illegal immigration.Credit: Bloomberg
The Pentagon referred queries to the White House. The White House, State Department and Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Reuters could not determine how many migrants would be sent to Libya or the nationalities of the individuals that the administration is eyeing for deportation.
Donald Trump, who made immigration a major issue during his election campaign, has launched aggressive enforcement action since taking office, surging troops to the southern border and pledging to deport millions of immigrants in the United States illegally.
As of Monday, the Trump administration has deported 152,000 people, the Department of Homeland Security said.
Trump’s administration has tried to encourage migrants to leave voluntarily by threatening steep fines, trying to strip away legal status and deporting migrants to notorious prisons in Guantanamo Bay and El Salvador.
In its annual human rights report published last year, the US State Department criticised Libya’s “harsh and life-threatening prison conditions” and “arbitrary arrest or detention”.
In March, Trump ordered the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members to a prison in El Salvador.Credit: El Salvador PPO via AP
