The US Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, defended the United States’ decision to ban Libyan citizens from entering the country, attributing the action to the “absence of a stable government in Libya.” She asserted that this situation renders Libyan authorities unable to provide the necessary cooperation for verifying the identities of individuals seeking to travel to US territory.
In an interview with Fox News, Noem stressed that Washington cannot permit the entry of individuals whose home country authorities are unable to provide adequate information about them.
The Secretary explained that, under its current political circumstances, Libya is “not qualified to assist in the required security investigations.” She noted that cooperation between the two nations is virtually nonexistent regarding the exchange of travellers’ personal data or intelligence information. Noem questioned pointedly: “If this nation is incapable of supporting itself and telling us who these individuals are and helping us verify their identities, why would we allow people from that country to come to the United States?”
She added that the decision is part of a broader security hardening policy targeting countries classified as lacking an effective security vetting system or stable institutions reliable for information exchange.
Noem confirmed that the restrictions will remain in place until Libyan authorities achieve a “minimum level of institutional capability” that allows for the required security cooperation.
This stance is rooted in a previous US administration decision to impose strict entry restrictions on citizens of several countries experiencing political turmoil or weak security structures, including Libya. The decision relies on intelligence assessments concluding that these nations fail to provide the necessary biometric data or criminal records for comprehensive traveller security screening. The United States has implemented similar measures since 2017, which have been amended and updated multiple times based on shifting security assessments.
