The European Commission confirmed on Wednesday that a “protocol issue” prevented a high-level EU delegation from meeting Libyan Arab Armed Forces officials in Benghazi, after the group was denied entry by authorities in eastern Libya. The incident marks the latest diplomatic fallout amid ongoing efforts to curb irregular migration from North Africa to Europe. The delegation, which included EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner and the interior ministers of Italy, Greece, and Malta—Matteo Piantedosi, Thanos Plevris, and Byron Camilleri respectively—was declared persona non grata after landing in Benghazi on Tuesday. The eastern Libyan administration, led by Prime Minister Osama Hammad and backed by General Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army, accused the group of bypassing required diplomatic protocols by first visiting the rival Tripoli-based government in western Libya.
A statement from Hammad’s office accused the ministers of “illegal entry” and “flagrant contravention” of Libya’s diplomatic norms and sovereignty. Libyan officials said the European officials should have coordinated their visit with the eastern administration in line with existing diplomatic conventions. In Brussels, European Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert acknowledged the issue but offered no additional details, saying only that the EU continues to maintain open channels of communication with all Libyan parties. The rejected delegation was visiting Libya to strengthen cooperation on migration controls. The EU has invested heavily—financially and politically—in efforts to reduce the number of migrant boats crossing the Mediterranean, with Libya a key departure point due to its porous borders and political instability.
The diplomatic standoff underscores the complexity of engaging with Libya, a country divided between two rival governments since the 2011 fall of Muammar Gaddafi. The internationally recognized Government of National Unity, led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, is based in Tripoli, while Hammad’s eastern-based administration maintains its own institutions and alliances. Foreign delegations typically coordinate visits with both factions to avoid triggering political tensions. Analysts say the EU’s failure to properly coordinate this mission has not only strained relations with the eastern government but may complicate future cooperation on migration and security.
