The Libyan administration in Tripoli will deny entry to people holding visas issued by the Libyan consular office in Ta’ Xbiex, which represents the internationally recognised government based in Tobruk, it was announced yesterday.

Those wanting to visit Libya’s major towns and cities no longer under the control of the Tobruk government will have to apply for their visas to the Libyan embassy in Balzan, representing the National Salvation Government of Tripoli.

The move raises tensions between the rival government representatives in Malta. Their dispute over recognition has drawn in the Maltese government, which refuses to recognise the Tripoli representation.

This is being done out of fear that visas will be given to unwanted people

The new visa arrangements could also deal a further blow to Maltese interests in Libya, which have not yet recovered from the 2011 civil war.

In his first reaction yesterday, Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella told Times of Malta that this development would be discussed at a higher level but declined to give further details.

A cautious Dr Vella reiterated the reasons behind Malta’s stance, saying it had acted on the guidelines issued by the United Nations and the European Union.

The Tripoli and Tobruk representatives have been in a diplomatic tussle for weeks, with both claiming to speak in the name of the troubled North African country.

The visa ban was announced yesterday morning by Tripoli’s representative in Malta, Hussin Musrati, who took over the Balzan embassy on November 21.

Since then, Al-Habib Al-Amin, the chargé d’affaires loyal to the Tobruk-based government, has been forced to operate from the consular office in Ta’ Xbiex.

Addressing a news conference, Mr Musrati said the head of the Libyan immigration department had been instructed by Tripoli to refuse entry to anyone presenting a visa issued by the Ta’ Xbiex consular service.

“This is being done out of fear that visas will be given to unwanted people,” he said.

An agreement had been reached with a legal firm that would take care of the necessary documentation needed to issue the travel documents, he added.

However an embassy spokesman was unable to explain whether this decision will extend to visas issued by representatives of the Tobruk government worldwide.

Mr Musrati also said that the Tripoli government had lodged a complaint with Bank of Valletta because their account had been handed over to an “illegitimate” entity, with reference to the fact that the Ta’ Xbiex consular service was still accepting payments for issuing visas.

The Libyan diplomat said he was surprised by Malta’s decision not to recognise the Tripoli representative.

“This has increased the division among Libyans,” he said. “Unfortunately Malta is still recognising an illegitimate government.”

On November 6, Libya’s Supreme Court declared the Tobruk government null.

While insisting Tripoli was keen to increase cooperation with Malta, he said no country had the right to interfere in internal matters of another or take sides.

Asked about the concerns raised in the international media, that the Tripoli government was harbouring militant Islamist groups including Islamic State fighters (also known as Isis), Mr Musrati said this was not true. “This is just an excuse by countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to launch attacks against Libyan civilians, as they were against the Arab spring,” he said.

This has increased the division among Libyans

He even invited the Maltese media to visit Libya “to get a true picture of the situation which is not the one being portrayed by the western media”.

Meanwhile, a number of injured Libyan fighters brought over to Malta for treatment in recent months made a brief appearance during the news conference. In a brief message they vowed to return to Libya to fight what they described as the “remnants” of the Gaddafi regime.

Among them was Bader Muhammad Gergum, 30, from Misurata, who lost both legs after being hit by a rocket-propelled grenade on September 9, in the outskirts of the capital.

In spite of now being severely disabled, the wheelchair-bound former fighter said he has no regrets about joining the pro-Tripoli forces whom he described as the “genuine” Arab Spring promoters.

His views were echoed by Ahmed Imdekken, 25, from the Nafusa mountainous region in western Libya, who is recovering from the injuries sustained by explosive shrapnel.