On Thursday, Libya’s Interior Minister, Emad Trabelsi, urged the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) to assist in implementing a voluntary return program for irregular migrants.
During a meeting with UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya, Hanna Tetteh, and her delegation at the Ministry of Interior’s headquarters in Tripoli, Trabelsi emphasized the urgent need for international support in addressing the growing migration crisis.
The Libyan Interior Ministry stated that the meeting covered key security concerns, ongoing ministry operations, and the country’s overall security strategy.
Trabelsi highlighted the increasing challenges posed by irregular migration, not only for Libya but also for Mediterranean nations, stressing that a coordinated international response is necessary to manage the situation effectively.
Libya has long been a transit hub for migrants attempting to reach Europe, with human traffickers exploiting the country’s political instability and vast desert borders. In July 2024, Trabelsi estimated that the number of migrants in Libya could exceed 3 million, with 90,000 to 120,000 new arrivals each month through desert crossings.
The scale of migration has placed a significant strain on Libya’s security forces and resources, exacerbating humanitarian concerns and increasing pressure on detention centers already overwhelmed by the sheer number of stranded migrants.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been running a voluntary humanitarian return (VHR) program since 2015, successfully repatriating around 80,000 migrants.
However, with hundreds of thousands still stranded in Libya, Trabelsi is calling for enhanced international assistance to expand repatriation efforts and facilitate the safe return of migrants to their home countries.
As the migration crisis deepens, European Union nations along the Mediterranean have voiced concerns over increasing irregular migrant flows. Countries such as Italy, Malta, and Greece have urged stronger measures to prevent migrant departures from Libya’s shores, as they struggle to manage the influx of asylum seekers.
Libyan authorities argue that the country is not responsible for the crisis, emphasizing that Libya is a transit state, not a country of origin for these migrants.
Officials accuse European nations of neglecting their role in addressing the root causes of migration and failing to provide adequate support for countries like Libya, which bear the burden of managing the crisis on the ground.
Despite efforts to crack down on human trafficking networks and bolster border security, Libya faces enormous challenges in controlling migration flows.
