Youssef Al-Agouri, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Committee in Libya’s House of Representatives, emphasised that Libya cannot bear the burden of managing the migration crisis on behalf of neighbouring countries or the European Union, urging for an urgent international response.
This statement came during his meeting with Andrea Colombo, Egoni Carlusi, and Giovanni Paesi from Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the sidelines of the Mediterranean Forum in Rome, according to a statement from the Libyan House of Representatives.
Al-Agouri highlighted Libya’s role in welcoming Sudanese refugees, offering them access to education and employment. However, he warned that the ongoing Sudan crisis poses increasing pressure on Libya’s resources and requires international assistance to support displaced individuals effectively.
The meeting also addressed the implementation of the prisoner exchange agreement between Libya and Italy. This discussion included the case of five Libyan footballers detained in Italy since 2015 on charges of irregular migration. These individuals—Mohannad Khashiba, Alaa Al-Zughaid, Tarek Al-Amami, Abdelrahman Al-Barassi, and Mohamed Al-Mazoughi—were sentenced to 30 years in prison by Italian courts. Libya continues to push for their release.
Discussions also extended to the Libya-Italy coastal road agreement. Al-Agouri thanked Italian authorities for their support during Storm Daniel’s devastation and urged Italian companies to contribute to rebuilding Libyan cities.
Andrea Colombo reaffirmed Italy’s commitment to cooperating with Libya, highlighting the strong ties between the two nations and mutual efforts to tackle shared challenges.
