60 migrants died off its coast at the end of last month

The number of migrants from Libya towards the shores of Europe is rising again

• Groups of migrants are arrested successively in Libyan territorial waters.

  AFP

• Immigration ships resumed their activity after the relative calm that Libya witnessed.

  AFP

picture

The waves of migrants departing from the Libyan coast towards the shores of Europe are witnessing an increasing increase that has not been recorded for years, for various reasons, most notably the relative calm that Libya has been experiencing for a year.

The International Organization for Migration announced that 20,257 migrants were intercepted or rescued from the beginning of this year until the beginning of this month at sea, which is roughly equivalent to the total number of migrants rescued or intercepted last year, and returned to Libya.

An official in the Libyan naval forces, who declined to be named, confirmed to AFP that there was a "100% increase between January and July" in the departure of illegal immigrants from Libya, compared to the same period last year.

Jurist and researcher in immigration affairs, Anwar Al-Werfalli, believes that this rise in the number of irregular migrants is due to several reasons, most notably the relative calm that Libya has been experiencing for nearly a year.

Al-Werfalli explained to Agence France-Presse: "Libya's registration bears an unprecedented surge in the number of migrants, the most important of which is the cessation of the recent war in the west of the country, which paved the way for a state of security, albeit relatively, and thus encouraged smugglers to work again to delude migrants that there is an ideal opportunity to cross the Mediterranean." ».

waiting for the chance

The Libyan human rights defender adds, “The huge flows are logical to a large extent, as the general closure in the world last year caused an increase in the number of migrants (on Libyan soil), who were waiting for the opportunity to board the migration boats again, and therefore the numbers recorded this year are largely expected.”

After the fall of Muammar Gaddafi's regime, Libya plunged into chaos and power struggles, especially between two competing authorities in the West and East.

In the summer of 2020, an agreement was reached on a ceasefire, followed by the formation of a transitional government at the beginning of this year.

University professor and political analyst, Miloud Al-Hajj, believes that the idea that the relative stability that Libya enjoys today is the main reason for the increase in the flow of migrants across the Mediterranean coast is correct to a "large extent".

He points out that armed conflicts that contribute to weakening the security services can facilitate the crossing of migrant infiltrators, but at the same time they "terrify migrants" and make them wait before starting the adventure of dividing the sea, fearing for their lives or being kidnapped, for example, by armed men for a ransom.

Libya is a major transit point for tens of thousands of migrants who seek every year to reach Europe via the Italian coast, some 300 km from the coast of Libya.

About 60 migrants died off Libya at the end of last month, in a new tragedy in the Mediterranean, according to the International Organization for Migration.

The organization said in mid-July that the number of migrants who died in the Mediterranean while trying to reach Europe has more than doubled this year, to nearly 900.

Lack of equipment on the Libyan side

The Libyan Coast Guard faces great difficulties in carrying out the search or rescue of migrants, with a limited number of vessels, some of which are dilapidated, and these operations are often risky and cumbersome.

The former officer in the naval forces, Abdul Rahman Al-Mahmoudi, says that the burdens facing Libya are great, and the country needs huge international assistance in line with the unlimited flows of migrants.

He added, "Let us take, for example, the countries neighboring Libya, such as Italy, Malta, and Greece... These countries, with their large and advanced naval capabilities, announce on multiple international occasions that they are suffering from the flow of migrants, so what is the pressure on Libya with its limited capabilities?"

He added that when responding to "distress calls at sea (...) the coast guard sometimes faces the risk of death when carrying out rescue operations in volatile weather."

The former military indicates that Libya needs “greater and more comprehensive cooperation with the destination countries in southern Europe to which migrants sail, because the phenomenon of the growth of irregular migration weighs on Libya before Europe, and therefore real cooperation must be made and Libya should not be made a guard for Europe, despite its difficult circumstances that everyone knows.” ».

The Libyan Navy owns a modest number of vessels and boats, through which rescue operations are carried out off the coast of the country.

finance

For years, Italy and the European Union have funded maintenance, equipment and training for the Libyan coast guard, to ensure that these migrants are prevented from reaching Europe, but Libya stresses the need to develop its naval capabilities on a larger scale.

Non-governmental organizations and UN agencies constantly denounce the return of migrants intercepted at sea to Libya, given the dire conditions in their shelters, and criticize the mistreatment of migrants.

Under international maritime law, migrants rescued at sea are supposed to be taken to a safe port.

The United Nations does not consider Libya a safe place, but the Libyan authorities say they do not have sufficient means to transfer them elsewhere.

• The increase in the number of irregular migrants is due to several reasons, most notably the relative calm that Libya has been experiencing for nearly a year.

• Libya is a major transit point for tens of thousands of migrants who seek every year to reach Europe through the Italian coasts, which are about 300 km from the coast of Libya.

• The number of migrants who died in the Mediterranean while trying to reach Europe more than doubled this year, nearly 900.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news