European Commission launches mission to curb immigration flow from Libya
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the launch of a new European mission to Libya aimed at exploring new arrangements for cooperation to halt illegal migration flows from the country's coasts. She explained that the mission would engage with authorities in both eastern and western Libya.
In a letter addressed to European leaders, von der Leyen criticized the handling of the migration file by Libyan authorities—particularly the government in eastern Libya—stating that it had made a 'strategic choice to open the tap' of migration from the port of Tobruk toward Europe.
Von der Leyen stressed the need for joint action to address the growing migration flows from Libya and North Africa, stating: 'Libya accounts for 93% of illegal migration operations, and we are witnessing a 173% increase in the number of migrants arriving in Greece from eastern Libya,' according to the European News Network on Monday.
She also revealed that she had tasked the EU Commissioner for Migration, Magnus Brunner, with visiting Libya as soon as possible to meet with authorities in both the east and the west to discuss cooperation on resolving the migration crisis.
Von der Leyen explained that the new mission's goal would be to lay the groundwork for a new chapter of cooperation to block irregular migration flows. She emphasized 'the importance of working with Libyan parties within the Team Europe approach, so we can strengthen border management, combat migrant smuggling, manage work visas and mobility to the EU, and ensure the voluntary return of migrants from Libya to their countries of origin.'
She also referred to the initiative launched in November 2023 titled the 'Global Alliance to Combat Migrant Smuggling', which aimed to deepen international involvement in combating human smuggling through prevention, response, and creating alternatives to illegal migration. Von der Leyen revealed that she is preparing to host the initiative's second conference on December 10 in Brussels to discuss progress made, with the participation of several European leaders. Tags: EU Commission illegal immigration
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