TRIPOLI, June 3 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said on Tuesday that it does not implement any programs aimed at settling migrants in Libya and does not take over the role of state institutions in managing migration-related issues.
In statements aired by Libya's Al-Ahrar TV, the agency said that the registration of refugees does not affect the state's authority to manage migration or to make sovereign decisions regarding foreign nationals residing in the country.
The remarks come amid growing debate over migration issues in Libya. In recent weeks, activists and citizens staged protests outside the UN agency's office in Tripoli, rejecting what they described as attempts to resettle migrants and refugees in Libya.
The agency has repeatedly denied such allegations, stressing that it does not implement any refugee resettlement programs in Libya and that its role is limited to providing humanitarian assistance in coordination with the Libyan authorities.
A report released by the UN refugee agency in April showed that more than 559,920 Sudanese refugees have entered Libya since the outbreak of the conflict in Sudan in April 2023, making it one of the largest displacement crises in the region in recent years. ■
