Libya hosted a conference on illegal migration on Wednesday, bringing together representatives from 28 European and African countries hoping to forge “strategic” co-operation to tackle the problem.
“We have a moral responsibility” to migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, “who cross the desert and the sea” in the hope of reaching Europe, Libyan Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah said at the opening of the Trans-Mediterranean Migration Forum.
Libya, about 300 kilometres (186 miles) from Italy, is a key departure point for migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, who risk a perilous journey across the Mediterranean in search of a better life in Europe. But with the European Union’s increasing efforts to crack down on irregular migration, many have been stranded in Libya and other North African countries. Dbeibah said:
Libya found itself caught in pressure between (Europe’s) turning back of migrants and (their) desire to migrate.
He called for development projects in departure countries. Dbeibah also added:
We can only resolve the migration crisis at the root, in the countries of departure.
Libyan authorities said last week that up to four out of five foreigners in the North African country were undocumented and that the reception of migrants hoping to reach Europe had become “unacceptable.” Interior Minister Imad Trabelsi said:
It’s time to resolve this problem because Libya cannot continue to pay its price.
Libya is still struggling to recover from years of war and chaos following the NATO-backed overthrow of longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Smugglers and human traffickers have capitalised on the atmosphere of instability that has prevailed in the vast country since then. The country has been criticised for its treatment of migrants and refugees, with accusations from human rights groups ranging from extortion to slavery.
Italian PM calls for an end to human trafficking from Libya
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, at a forum on Wednesday, called for an end to “human trafficking … (which) is now one of the most powerful criminal networks in the world.” The minister also denounced “criminal organisations” that “decide who has the right or not to live in our countries,” adding that “illegal migration is the enemy of legal migration.”
According to official figures, 30,348 migrants from North Africa arrived in Italy between January 1 and July 16, down 61 per cent on the year, with 17,659 leaving from Libya and 11,001 from Tunisia.
