Brussels – There are still too many departures and too many arrivals from Libya, most of them irregular, and the EU is trying to do something about it. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced a mission to the country to seek new arrangements for new cooperation to stem the flow of asylum seekers. A commitment announced to heads of state and government just days before the EU leaders’ summit (26 and 27) as a demonstration of the activism of the EU executive, which, however, asks national governments to work to make the rules under the new immigration pact effective and fully operational.
“With departures from Libya accounting for 93 percent of illegal border crossings, we see an increase of 7 percent on the Central Mediterranean route and a 173 percent increase of arrivals to Greece from Eastern Libya,” von der Leyen wrote in the letter addressed to leaders. “I have asked Commissioner Brunner to visit Libya soon and to meet with authorities in the West and East of the country,” she added. The aim is to lay the foundations for a new season of cooperation against migration flows. “It is necessary to work with them, in a Team Europe approach, to be able to insist on strengthening border management and the fight against migrant smuggling, managing work visas and onward movements to the EU, as well as ensuring protection and voluntary returns from Libya to countries of origin.”
https://www.eunews.it/2024/10/17/immigrazione-ue-meloni-modi-alternativi/
In this political announcement, von der Leyen plays the realpolitik card, recognizing both governments in power in Libya: Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh in Tripoli and Khalifa Haftar in Tobruk. Now, however, she asks the 27 member states for similar determination and a change of pace. “In November 2023, I launched the Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling”, von der Leyen recalls. This initiative, she points out, “strengthened the international engagement to tackle migrant smuggling across prevention, response, and alternatives to illegal migration.” Two years later, “I will be hosting a second Global Alliance conference on 10 December in Brussels, and I would be pleased if you would participate in this event,” she writes in an invitation that intends to turn the conference into a leaders’ summit.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
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