Libya’s eastern government has barred the European Union migration commissioner and ministers from Italy, Malta, and Greece from entering the region, accusing them of violating the North African nation’s sovereignty.

The delegation had been scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Osama Hammad’s Government of National Stability (GNS) in Benghazi, following earlier talks with the rival, internationally recognized Government of National Unity (GNU) in the national capital, Tripoli.

However, upon arrival at Benina Airport in Benghazi on Tuesday, the visit of the EU officials, “along with their accompanying delegation, was rescinded,” Hammad said in a statement on Facebook.

He added that the team had failed to “adhere to the stipulated procedures governing the entry, movement, and residency of foreign diplomatic personnel” in breach of Libyan laws. The group included EU Internal Affairs and Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner, Greek Minister for Migration and Asylum Thanos Plevris, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, and Maltese Minister for Home Affairs Byron Camilleri.

“They were duly informed of the imperative to depart Libyan territory forthwith and were declared persona non grata,” he stated.

The oil-rich nation has remained conflict-torn and split between two competing administrations since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi more than a decade ago. Libya became a major transit hub for human trafficking and migration to Europe via the Mediterranean after the assassination of Gaddafi in 2011.

Earlier on Tuesday, the EU team discussed efforts to combat illegal migration and human smuggling with Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah of the Tripoli-based government.

During the meeting, Dbeibah warned that Libya is locked in a battle against criminal gangs and armed groups exploiting irregular migration, a crisis he said requires urgent global cooperation. The prime minister said he had directed the Interior Ministry to develop a national plan to address migration, “based on practical cooperation with partners and reflecting a clear political will to build sustainable solutions.”

He also announced plans to sign a formal agreement with the EU to institutionalize cooperation and “effectively ensure burden-sharing” and stability in Libya and the region.