EU migration delegation ordered deported from eastern Libya on alleged entry violations

CAIRO (AP) — Authorities in eastern Libya refused entry to three European ministers and the EU commissioner for migration on alleged entry violations, apparently after they stopped first in the rival Libyan capital of Tripoli in the west.

A statement from the prime minister of the eastern part of Libya, Osama Hammad, said the interior ministers of Italy, Greece, Malta and the EU migration commissioner, Magnus Brunner, were “persona non-grata” after they were denied entry shortly after their arrival in Benghazi. It said the ministers had entered illegally and had not followed Libyan diplomatic conventions.

The ministers were in “flagrant contravention of established diplomatic norms and international conventions, and through actions that demonstrably disregard Libyan national sovereignty, as well as in violation of Libyan domestic laws,” the statement said. The delegations “are urged to engage with the Libyan Government in accordance with the principle of reciprocity, as enshrined in international agreements, treaties, and diplomatic custom,” it added.

In addition to Brunner, the delegation included Greek Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi and Maltese Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri.

The delegation was visiting Libya seeking tougher migration measures against boats carrying migrants from Libya. The EU has spent years and millions of euros trying to stem the people smuggling operations that have thrived in Libya's lawlessness and brought hundreds of thousands of desperate people to European shores.

Libya plunged into chaos after a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. In the chaos that followed, the country split, with rival administrations in the east and west backed by rogue militias and foreign governments. Currently, Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah heads the internationally recognized government in the capital of Tripoli in the west while Hammad heads the administration in the east, where the powerful military commander Khalifa Hifter continues to also hold sway.

The EU delegation had met first with Dbeibah, and the deportation incident was apparently caused because the European delegation stopped first in Tripoli, said Greek Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hadzidakis. Usually foreigners including diplomats coordinate with both administrations if they want to visit western and eastern Libya.

Speaking to state-run ERT television in Greece, Hadzidakis said the Tripoli meeting went ahead as planned.

“However, in Benghazi —perhaps because the visit to Tripoli came first — the Benghazi government decided it would not receive the European Commissioner and the three ministers. I don’t think that was a constructive move, especially given that the European Union is genuinely trying to find a solution to this very unusual situation — just as it has tried with our other southern and eastern neighbors — on a complex issue like migration."

For southern and eastern Libya, which are under the control of Hifter’s forces, visitors have to coordinate and get permits from the east-based government, which is allied with Hifter. It's not clear if such permits were sought or granted.

In a post on social media, Brunner made it seem as if nothing unusual had happened.

“We just concluded our mission to Libya together with the Ministers responsible for migration from Greece, Italy and Malta,” he wrote, noting that the delegation had “held in-depth discussions” with Libya’s prime minister and three other Cabinet members.

During the talks, Brunner said, all the officials reaffirmed their joint commitment to fight migrant smuggling. “The meetings planned in Benghazi could not take place in the end,” he said, without elaborating.

In Italy, opposition lawmakers who have criticized the hard-line stance against migration of the government of Premier Giorgia Meloni were quick to point out the irony that her migration minister was deported from a country on alleged immigration violations.

“Piantedosi was turned back from Libya because he was accused of illegal entry,” Democratic Party lawmaker Matteo Orfini wrote on Facebook. “I was thinking of an ironic comment but I’d say that’s good as is.”

FILE - European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner speaks during a media conference after a meeting of EU justice and interior ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Dec 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Havana, File)

LONDON (AP) — King Charles III has been “deeply touched” by the response to his update on his cancer treatment, Buckingham Palace said Saturday, adding that the monarch is pleased to have highlighted the value of screening programs for the disease.

Medics and health charities have praised the king for his openness, saying his statement on Friday had already prompted people to seek information about cancer.

In a strikingly personal video statement, the British monarch acknowledged that a cancer diagnosis can feel “overwhelming,” but said catching the disease early brings “the precious gift of hope.”

Here’s what to know about the king's condition and his message.

The 77-year-old king said in a statement broadcast Friday that his treatment schedule will be reduced in the new year, “thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to ‘doctors’ orders.’”

He encouraged others to take advantage of screening programs such as those for breast, bowel and cervical cancer offered by Britain’s public health service.

“Early diagnosis quite simply saves lives,” the king said in the statement aired during a “Stand Up to Cancer” telethon on TV station Channel 4. He said catching the disease early had allowed him “to continue leading a full and active life even while undergoing treatment.”

Charles has received outpatient treatment for almost two years. Buckingham Palace did not say the king is in remission, but that his treatment is moving to a “precautionary phase” and his condition will be monitored to ensure his continued recovery.

“I know from my own experience that a cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming,” the king said in his video statement. “Yet I also know that early detection is the key that can transform treatment journeys, giving invaluable time to medical teams – and, to their patients, the precious gift of hope.”

Charles announced in February 2024 that he had been diagnosed with cancer, and, in a break from centuries of secrecy about royal health, he has since spoken about the illness, using his story to promote cancer awareness and treatment.

The openness has limits, though. The king has not disclosed what type of cancer he has or what kind of treatment he is receiving. The palace said it was an intentional decision designed to ensure his message reaches the widest possible audience.

The king’s cancer was discovered after treatment for an enlarged prostate. While doctors ruled out prostate cancer, tests revealed “a separate issue of concern,” palace officials said last year.

Charles suspended his public appearances for about two months after his diagnosis. Since returning to the public eye, he has visited cancer treatment centers across the country and shared stories with fellow patients.

Buckingham Palace said Charles “will be greatly encouraged and deeply touched by the very positive reaction" his message has generated. “He will be particularly pleased at the way it has helped to shine a light on the benefits of cancer screening programs,” it added.

British cancer charities said the number of people seeking information about cancer jumped after the king revealed he was undergoing treatment last year.

Cancer Research U.K. said about 100,000 people have visited its Screening Checker website since it was launched on Dec. 5, most of them since the king’s statement on Friday.

The charity's Chief Executive Michelle Mitchell said: “When public figures speak openly about their cancer diagnosis, it can prompt others to check in on their health.”

Broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby, the king’s authorized biographer, said the statement was “a remarkable thing for a monarch to do.”

“It takes guts, and the fact that he came out and did that will save lives,’” Dimbleby said.

The Princess of Wales, who announced her own cancer diagnosis six weeks after her father-in-law, has also given updates on her treatment. Kate announced in January that her cancer is in remission.

Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/royalty

Britain's King Charles III attends an Advent Service at Westminster Abbey, in London, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (Chris Jackson/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's King Charles III attends an Advent Service at Westminster Abbey, in London, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (Chris Jackson/Pool Photo via AP)