Libya and Italy partner to tackle irregular migration

Italian and Libyan officials have confirmed they are now working on a variety of projects that will aim to assist Libya in helping to tackle the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean, according to Moroccan government-friendly The North Africa Post, October 7.

The announcement comes after a meeting between representatives from Libya and Italy, where the two sides discussed the issue of illegal immigration, with both countries emphasising the importance of international cooperation in addressing the crisis. They say that working together will allow the countries to develop key sustainable tools to directly address the challenges of the crisis.

This meeting, according to a statement from Libya’s Government of National Unity (GNU), forms part of the North African country’s more expansive strategy to tackle what is deemed as irregular migration flows.

Collaboration between Italy and Libya comes as little surprise, with Libya and its European partner both co-chairing the Migration and Security Working Group within the Rome Process. An initiative established during a summit in Rome in 2024, it has brought together countries from Africa, Asia and Europe to coordinate migration strategies and policies that could better address critical concerns of the crisis.

While many countries have been forced to tackle the migration crisis through their own means, the Migration and Security Working Group instead aims to assist countries that are bearing the brunt of the crisis, rather than major reception states, such as Italy, being left overwhelmed by the situation, attempting to solve the issue with limited resources. In essence, the two countries now hope that such collaboration will help address the root causes behind irregular migration.

The Libyan Government of National Unity – based in Tripoli – is internationally recognised by various countries around the world, and widely considered to be the most reliable authority to work with to reunify the war-torn country. As part of Tripoli’s efforts on the migrant crisis, they have stressed their desire to work with international partners, and have expressed the importance that they assist the GNU.

However, European governments should be cautious about outsourcing migration control to overseas countries such as Libya. Critics of the partnership have suggested that relying on Libya to manage Europe’s migration concerns may prove to be a challenge greater than what the Libyan government and its institutions can effectively handle.

This sentiment may not be fully shared in Tripoli. Libya’s Minister of Communication and Political Affairs, Walid Ellafi, recently wrote in the UK’s The Guardian that proposals which fail to work with the GNU to dismantle smuggling gangs and criminal networks are “missing a chance to deliver significant change.”