Libya demands support over migration pressure
Libya requested support from Italy as it is carrying heavy migration burden during Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh’s meeting with Giorgia Meloni in Rome, as reported by The Libya Observer and agencies on May 7th.
At the centre of the meeting was the attempt to frame migration not only as a Libyan or Italian problem, but as a regional file requiring broader responsibility sharing.
Dbeibeh argued that Libya needs a more serious and effective international partnership, especially in support of the institutions dealing with border control as coastal monitoring and migration management get increasingly less efficient.
The two sides reviewed cooperation within the quadrilateral mechanism linking Libya, Italy, Turkey and Qatar, which is intended to support efforts against illegal migration on all sides.
The discussion also covered operational coordination action against smuggling networks and transnational organised crime.
During these talks Libya is presenting itself as a frontline state that absorbs pressure created by instability, transit routes and criminal networks extending beyond its own borders while still being the target on international pressure.
The two governments addressed deportation and voluntary return mechanisms, as well as coordination with relevant countries and organisations.
The stated objective was to handle migration through a balanced approach that takes into consideration humanitarian concerns arose with the reduction of the last UN report while still preserving Libyan sovereignty.
Libya wants support for its security and migration institutions, while human rights organisations have repeatedly warned that migrants in the country face detention, extortion, abuse and exploitation.
Any expansion of operational cooperation therefore raises the question of whether stronger border management will also bring stronger safeguards.
The meeting also touched on judicial cooperation over Libyan prisoners sentenced in Italy, with both sides stressing the need to accelerate implementation of a memorandum allowing convicts to be transferred to Libya under legal procedures.
Migration remains one of Libya’s most powerful diplomatic files with Italy. Dbeibeh is using it to demand greater international support, but the credibility of that demand will depend on whether Libya can combine sovereignty and security with meaningful protection for migrants caught inside its territory.
The Libya Observer plus agencies, maghrebi.org
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