The European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) in Libya will host a regional conference in Tunisia, on cross-border cooperation between Libya and Sahel countries.
According to the Head of Mission, Natalina Cea, the conference will be held from 22-23 November 2022.
In a thread published on the EUBAM Libya Twitter account, Cea said: “I am proud to announce that EUBAM Libya is hosting a regional conference on cross-border cooperation between Libya and the Sahel countries.”
She added that the conference will be held in cooperation with the EU Special Representative for the Sahel, the Regional Advising and Coordination Cell (RACC), and the program CT-JUST.
Cia noted that “the conference aims at supporting regional security and stability, by enhancing cross-border cooperation in the fight against border crimes, including terrorism and organized crime.”
“Political and technical delegations from Libya and the Sahel countries, EU and its Member States, as well as from international organizations will attend the conference. We will keep you posted via our social media channels,” she added.
In late October, the European Union signed an agreement with Egypt for the first phase of an €80 million-euro border management program. This comes as Egyptian migration to Europe via Libya, has been on the rise.
In a statement, the EU delegation in Cairo said that the project aims to “help Egyptian border guards reduce irregular migration and human trafficking along its western border with Libya. As well as provide for the procurement of surveillance equipment such as search and rescue vessels, thermal cameras, and satellite positioning systems.”
Since late 2016, migration to Europe from Egypt’s northern coast has slowed sharply. However, migration across Egypt’s long desert border with Libya and from the Mediterranean coast to Europe has been on the rise, diplomats say.
Libya has emerged as the dominant transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East, hoping for a better life in Europe. The shipwreck is just the latest tragedy at sea.
Human traffickers in recent years have benefited from the chaos, smuggling in migrants across the oil-rich country’s lengthy borders with six nations. The migrants are then packed into ill-equipped rubber boats and set off on risky sea voyages.