President Donald Trump’s administration is planning to deport migrants to Libya, according to reports.

The U.S. military could fly deportees to the country as soon as Wednesday, The New York Times and Reuters reported, citing officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

It was not immediately known how many migrants could be sent to Libya or the nationality of the individuals the administration may deport.

Newsweek has contacted the White House, State Department and Department of Homeland Security for comment outside regular business hours.

Why It Matters

Libya has become notorious for its network of migrant detention centers, which human rights groups have described as inhumane.

In a 2021 report, Amnesty International called the facilities a “hellscape,” where detainees suffer torture, sexual violence, forced labor, and even slavery.

In an annual report on human rights practices in Libya released last year, the State Department described the conditions in the country’s detention centers as “harsh and life-threatening.”

It added that migrants in these facilities, including children, had “no access to immigration courts or due process.”

Trump, who made immigration a centerpiece of his campaign, has launched a major crackdown since returning to office in January. His administration has detained and deported thousands of people, including sending alleged gang members to notorious prisons in Guantanamo Bay and El Salvador.

One official told Reuters that the Trump administration had been looking at a number of countries to send migrants to, including Libya. But it was not immediately clear if the administration had reached an agreement with Libyan authorities to accept deportees of other nationalities.

The State Department has issued a Level 4 travel advisory for Libya, warning Americans against traveling there due to “crime, terrorism, unexploded landmines, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict.”

It was previously reported that the administration was also considering sending migrants to Rwanda.
What People Are Saying

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at a Cabinet meeting in the White House last week: “We are actively searching for other countries to take people from third countries… not just El Salvador. We are working with other countries to say: ‘we want to send you some of the most despicable human beings to your countries, will you do that as a favor to us’. And the further away from America, the better so they can’t come back across the border.”

Sarah Leah Whitson, the executive director of Democracy for the Arab World Now, a nonprofit organization, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Migrants have long been trafficked, tortured and ransomed in Libya. The country is in a civil war. It is not a safe place to send anyone.”

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council,wrote on X, alongside a picture of a detention facility in Libya: “Don’t look away. This is what Libya’s migrant detention facilities look like. This is what Trump is doing.

“Amnesty International called these places a ‘hellscape’ where beatings are common and sexual violence are rampant. There are reports of human trafficking and even slavery.”
What Happens Next

The legal path forward remains uncertain. A Supreme Court order in April temporarily barred the deportation of a group of Venezuelans that the administration had labeled as gang members. It remains unclear if any similar legal action will be taken ahead of any deportations to Libya.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is reportedly exploring agreements with more countries willing to accept deportees.