Libya and Malta discuss maritime borders amid migration issues
Libya and Malta have entered discussions on maritime borders to strengthen their stance on migration to ensure regional stability, according to the Moroccan government-friendly outlet North Africa Post on September 11th.
There remains a possibility that talks will expand into multilateral negotiations involving third countries, a solution which the European Union is becoming increasingly agreeable towards.
The agreement was reached during a meeting on September 10th in Valletta between Libya’s Acting Foreign Minister, Al-Taher Al-Baour, and his Maltese counterpart Ian Borg.
Libya has positioned itself as a pivotal figure in the EU migration debate. Its geographical location alongside the Mediterranean in North Africa has resulted, due to ongoing political instability in the country, in an influx of migrant arrivals to EU countries.
Most worryingly for the EU, the majority of the arrivals are reportedly irregular, an area which the EU has looked to clamp down on in recent times.
Thanks to its geographical location, Malta is viewed as an important intermediary between central EU states and Libya, and talks covered bilateral cooperation in border management, coast guard coordination, and joint efforts to tackle illegal migration.
Furthermore, Libya and Malta will coordinate on development initiatives in Libya to address its root causes.
There have been widespread concerns surrounding EU-backed border controls in North Africa. Fears of EU funding fuelling human rights violations in Libya and Mauritania have been voiced by human rights groups.
Libya has forged closer ties with EU member states such as Greece, a relationship which has also focused on stemming irregular migration, a situation that is complicated further by the rival administrations in Libya, both having diplomatic ties with Greece.
Libya’s delicate political situation was also discussed in the meeting with the Maltese delegation, and Malta pledged to support Libya’s peaceful political process to enhance stability. Discussing cooperation in regional and international issues, Malta reaffirmed its commitment to recognising the State of Palestine at the upcoming UN General Assembly session.
North Africa Post, Maghrebi.org, InfoMigrants
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