EU Official Denied Entry to Libya: Italy Calls it a "Diplomatic Incident"

A planned visit to Libya by a European Union delegation was disrupted when EU Commissioner for Migration, Magnus Brunner, and the interior ministers of Italy, Greece, and Malta were denied entry by authorities in eastern Libya. The incident occurred on Tuesday, and Libyan officials in Benghazi explained on Thursday that the delegation had "disregarded Libya's national sovereignty."

The Italian government is downplaying the situation, referring to it as a "diplomatic incident." Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who was among those denied entry, told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that the issue stemmed from disagreements about the composition of the delegations involved in the planned meetings.

"It wasn't a rejection of our delegation, but a last-minute cancellation of the meeting," Piantedosi clarified. He described it as a "missed opportunity," noting that it would have been the first visit by an EU Commission delegation to eastern Libya.

Addressing criticism from the Italian opposition, which claimed Italy had been humiliated, Piantedosi responded, "I think that's a simplistic and somewhat provincial way to rejoice in a diplomatic incident that is in no way attributable to the Italian delegation. We attach great importance to cooperation with both Libyan sides."

He emphasized Italy's commitment to working with both the internationally recognized government in Tripoli and the rival administration in eastern Libya, which is allied with General Khalifa Haftar and supported by Russia. This eastern government is led by Osama Hamad.

"We will continue – that is the best answer to any suggestion regarding the respect that our government enjoys there," the Italian Interior Minister asserted. Commissioner Brunner has confirmed the cancellation of the meetings in Benghazi.

Piantedosi maintains that cooperation with Libya is yielding positive results. "The figures for 2025 demonstrate that migrant arrivals in Italy are significantly lower than those we recorded in 2023 – when we essentially began our work as a government. With a decrease of 51 percent."

The meetings in Benghazi were scheduled to take place on Tuesday. Prior to the incident, the European delegation had visited the internationally recognized government in Tripoli.

Published 10.07.2025