TRIPOLI, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Protesters on Saturday again blocked the gate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Tripoli, following a similar incident in June, local media reported.
Members of the "No to Settlement" movement, which opposes the presence of migrants in Libya, prevented staff of the UNHCR from entering its office and also welded shut and closed the metal gates after forcing staff to leave the premises, according to media reports and video footage.
Neither the UNHCR nor the Libyan authorities have issued an official statement so far regarding Saturday's protest and the renewed closure of the office.
On June 4, hundreds of Libyan protesters shut down the UNHCR office, driven by concerns over what they described as the "settlement" of irregular migrants inside the country. Regarding this situation, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya denied allegations that migrants are being resettled in Libya under UN programs, describing such claims as "completely false."
Libya remains a key transit hub for migrants seeking to reach Europe across the Mediterranean, taking advantage of its geographic location and extensive land and sea borders. ■