UN says disinformation fuels hostility in Libya protests over migrants
False claims that migrants were being settled in Libya drew hundreds into Tripoli’s streets, forcing a UN office shutdown and raising fears for aid workers.
Hundreds of demonstrators blocked the UNHCR office in Tripoli’s Sarraj neighborhood, turning anger over migrants into a direct challenge to the United Nations as protesters chanted, “No, No to settlement, Libya only for Libyans” and “Get out of Libya, take them all out of Libya.” Some later marched to the office of the U.N. mission in Libya, underscoring how quickly online rumors spilled into street-level confrontation.
The immediate flashpoint was a false claim that migrants were being permanently settled in Libya. UNSMIL pushed back, saying there is no UN resettlement program in the country. Stephane Dujarric, the UN spokesperson, said the organization strongly condemns “any attacks or threats against personnel or premises” and said countering disinformation in Libya was extremely difficult. He also called for cooperation from social-media platforms to curb the spread of false claims.
The protests tapped into a deeper grievance in a country fractured by 15 years of conflict and political division. Libya has been a transit route for migrants since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising, and many of those who remain work in cleaning and construction jobs that many Libyans are reluctant to take. In that environment, migrants are increasingly blamed for social and economic strain, making them an easy target when rumors spread that international agencies are helping to resettle foreigners in place.
The scale of the issue is large. The International Organization for Migration identified 787,326 migrants from 44 nationalities across 100 municipalities in Libya in its August-to-October 2024 report. UNHCR said 106,560 people were registered with it in Tripoli at the end of October 2025, while its February 2026 update said 5,762 people were held in detention centers managed by Libya’s Directorate for Combatting Illegal Migration, including 1,325 in need of international protection. UNHCR also said only one flight left Libya for Rwanda in 2025, evacuating 137 refugees.
For the UN, the episode is more than a protest over migration. It is a warning that in fragile states, disinformation can narrow the space for humanitarian work and turn international institutions into local flashpoints. The UN Security Council has extended UNSMIL’s mandate through Oct. 31, 2026, but the Tripoli protests showed how vulnerable that presence has become when rumors move faster than facts.
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