Eastern Libya Government Bans Entry of Iranians and Afghans Through All Crossings - Sarmad

The government of eastern Libya, led by Osama Hammad, announced late on Wednesday a ban on the entry of Iranian and Afghan nationals into Libyan territory through all land, sea, and air border crossings.

The decision, issued by the government appointed by the House of Representatives and based in Benghazi, tasked the Ministry of Interior, in coordination with relevant authorities, to begin immediate implementation and issue directives to all border crossings, along with the deportation of all citizens holding Iranian and Afghan citizenship who do not possess valid residence permits.

The decision exempted members of accredited diplomatic and consular missions to Libya and their family members entitled to diplomatic privileges, as well as workers in the fields of education, medicine, and allied health professions, provided they obtain official approvals and employment contracts from the relevant ministry.

The government did not specify any clear or direct reasons for issuing this decision in its official statement. However, this step follows previous measures taken by the eastern Libya administration in June 2026, which banned the entry of nationals from four African countries (Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia), as part of what it described as efforts to reorganize and scrutinize the status of foreign nationals and migrants in areas under the control of the government and the Libyan National Army led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.