The vice consul at US Embassy in Tunisia, Shannon Flowers, said there had been a milestone year for expeditionary consular diplomacy in Libya, as US Embassy in Tunisia consular team, in partnership with the Libya External Office, traveled to Libya for the first American Citizen Services (ACS) trips on the ground in nearly a decade.
"For many U.S. citizens living there, it was the first opportunity to see a consular officer since the embassy suspended operations in 2014 due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and armed conflict." Shannon said.
She added that the small teams run consular camps while in Libya, first from Tripoli and then from Benghazi. She added that they bring everything needed to provide consular services in a single carry-on suitcase.
"Over seven trips since the summer of 2023, the team has served more than 500 citizens. Team members have adjudicated passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBAs); accepted emergency immigrant visa petitions; delivered passports, CRBAs, and other documents; and conducted several special citizen services, including visiting arrested U.S. citizens." She added.
"Critically, most of the citizens who came for services are from one of a handful of demographic groups that have a particularly difficult time traveling out of Libya to access consular services in Tunis. Among these groups are female U.S. citizens, who have at times been prevented from departing Libya due to male guardianship conditions for women travelers, which extends to foreigners." Shannon said.
Shannon also said that low-income applicants, especially those with large families, have indicated they struggle to afford the cost of travel and time off work to come to Tunisia.
"Libyan-American dual nationals shared that they have faced prejudice and other challenges at the border between Tunisia and Libya when seeking to cross to access consular services at Embassy Tunis. Those seeking official travel to Libya undergo a robust approval process within the Department of State, with the coordination and assistance of several other federal agencies." Shannon remarked.
She said: "The consular team works with the Diplomatic Security Service to mitigate physical risks and create a travel and safety plan. That travel plan must be reviewed and approved by senior Department officials in Washington. Planning for a trip to Libya typically takes at least one month. In Libya, the team has access to a secure facility to provide services, which reduces some challenges inherent in operations outside a traditional embassy."
Shannon indicated that despite the logistical challenges involved in travel, this consular camp model demonstrated an early proof of concept for how consular teams can safely provide limited, but meaningful, on-the-ground assistance to U.S. citizens in Libya. She added that the team now maintains a waitlist for the next possible ACS visit.
