Libya’s Grand Mufti, Al-Sadiq Al-Gharyani, commented on the issue of illegal migration, stressing that addressing the phenomenon requires organized legal and security measures, away from chaos or individual actions.
Speaking during the program “Islam and Life”, Al-Gharyani, said that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) operates in Libya illegally, claiming that its real objective is to settle migrants in the country in a way that serves European interests and eases migration pressures on Europe. He argued that the Libyan state should expel the agency immediately, accusing some European countries of seeking to turn the migration crisis into a chronic problem inside Libya by shifting its consequences onto the country.
He added that some European states are attempting to transfer the burdens of the migration crisis to Libya, taking advantage of the country’s division and instability, which is increasing the challenges Libya faces on this issue.
The Mufti called on the Ministries of Labor and Interior to enforce laws regulating foreign labor by requiring foreign workers to complete the necessary legal procedures, including registration cards, health certificates, and the required permits.
He also warned that weak border controls and the failure to regulate the status of foreign workers pose a threat to security and stability. At the same time, he stressed that incitement against migrants or attacks on them are religiously unacceptable, and that the crisis must be addressed through state institutions and the rule of law.
Al-Gharyani further emphasized that individual actions and acts of disorder could have broad negative consequences and may be exploited by external actors to advance their objectives inside Libya.
