Libya’s eastern government bans entry for citizens of Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia

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CAIRO (AP) — Authorities based in the eastern part of divided Libya have banned entry for people from four nearby African countries, a move likely meant to stem the influx of migrants seeking to set off for Europe from the country's northern coast.

Libya's coast is a key departure points for migrants from North Africa trying to reach European shores for a better life there. They are typically packed by smugglers into small and unsafe boats, with thousands dying during the perilous sea journey.

The ban, announced late Tuesday, says citizens of Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia are “prohibited from entering Libyan territory through all land, sea, and air ports.” The government statement said exemptions will be made for diplomats and workers in health and education sectors.

Separately, tensions have risen in the last few months in both eastern and western Libya against the resettlement of refugees from other countries. There have been mass crackdowns on refugees with thousands arrested, according to Amnesty International.

According to the United Nations, there are more than 900,000 migrants and refugees in Libya, with Sudanese being the biggest group. Many of these migrants are vying for Europe but boats are regularly intercepted and sent back to Libya. The migrants end up held in government-run detention centers known for abuses, including forced labor, beatings, rapes and torture — practices that amount to crimes against humanity, according to U.N.-commissioned investigators.

Libya plunged into chaos after the NATO-backed toppling of its autocratic leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. The country is now run by two governments, one based in the west, the other in the east.

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