Libya's coast is a key departure point for migrants from North Africa trying to reach European shores for a better life there. They are typically packed by smugglers into small and unsafe boats, with thousands dying during the perilous sea journey.
The ban, announced late Tuesday, says citizens of Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia are “prohibited from entering Libyan territory through all land, sea, and air ports.” The government statement said exemptions will be made for diplomats and workers in the health and education sectors.
Separately, tensions have risen in the last few months in both eastern and western Libya against the resettlement of refugees from other countries. There have been mass crackdowns on refugees, with thousands arrested, according to Amnesty International.
According to the United Nations, there are more than 900,000 migrants and refugees in Libya, with Sudanese being the biggest group. Many of these migrants are vying for Europe, but boats are regularly intercepted and sent back to Libya.
Libya plunged into chaos after the NATO-backed toppling of its leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. The country is now run by two governments, one based in the west and the other in the east.
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