Italian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Antonio Tajani, said there are challenges of managing dialogue with Libyans in migration crisis regard due to ongoing departure operations from its coasts towards Italian waters.
He stated that the memorandum of understanding signed with Tunisia is progressing well, and there has been a reduction in the departure of migrants towards Italy.
Tajani made these comments on Tuesday during a hearing session before the parliamentary committee overseeing the implementation of the Schengen Agreement, supervising Europol activities, and overseeing immigration affairs.
He noted obstacles with Libya regarding halting departure operations for migrants from its coasts. “We have worked to enhance the capacity of Libyan authorities to intervene and rescue at sea, also benefiting from the European support program,” he said.
He added, “throughout this year, we have delivered patrol boats and conducted high-level training courses for our Libyan counterparts.”
Tajani pointed out that since 2017, 103 million€ have been allocated to Libya in cooperation with the International Organisation for Migration and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
“We will continue to provide assistance to Libya without compromising the fundamental rights of migrants,” he concluded.
Recent data from the Italian Interior Ministry revealed a surge in migration, with 47,300 migrants arriving in Italy from Libya, since the beginning of the year.
The data, released on Monday, indicated that approximately 30,000 of these migrants departed from the western region. The remainder originated from the east, according to Italy’s news agency, NOVA.
Italy has witnessed the arrival of 95,000 migrants through Tunisia, averaging 300 daily. This marks a substantial increase compared to 2022, when only 32,000 migrants used this route.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimated that, from 1st of January 2023 until 11 November, 13,611 migrants were intercepted at sea and returned to Libya. Among them were 10,352 men, 943 women, and 494 minors, with nationalities of 1,433 migrants still unavailable.
Tragically, 939 individuals have lost their lives, while 1,248 remain missing after their boats sank in the Mediterranean.