The Head of the Benghazi Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees of the United Nations (UNHCR), Ali Bibi said that they do not have any intention to settle refugees in Libya.
This came during a meeting with the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Libyan Parliament, MP Youssef Al-Agouri.
He affirmed that UNHCR’s mission is to “help asylum seekers resettle in other countries,” according to a statement by the Parliament.
“There is a misunderstanding about UNHCR’s work. The agency does not seek to settle any refugees in Libya, but rather, its mission is to help asylum seekers resettle in other countries,’ Bibi explained.
Bibi briefed Al-Agouri on the Commission’s work and the assistance it provides to asylum seekers, such as in health and education. He also pointed to UNHCR’s efforts in providing equipment for hospitals, and the maintenance of schools.
Bibi said that the most important obstacle that faces the UN body is the lack of a memorandum of cooperation.
In turn, Al-Agouri affirmed the Parliament’s keenness to support the work of United Nations humanitarian agencies, such as UNHCR. This is in appreciation of vulnerable humanitarian groups, considering national interests, and the preservation of national sovereignty.
“Libya cannot resolve the problem of migrant and refugee flows on behalf of the countries of the region,” Al-Agouri said. He explained that Libya is “experiencing a humanitarian crisis because of these flows, which requires intensified local and international efforts to mitigate its effects.”
In November, the Special Envoy of UNHCR for the Western and Central Mediterranean, Vincent Cochetel said setting up large refugee camps in Libya “could be the last option for the migration crisis.”
According to a special report by Italy’s Nova news agency, Cochetel is considering new solutions to address the migrant crisis, describing the current voluntary transfer system in Europe as “dead”.
The report added that there is a belief by the majority of European countries that “resettlement, as it was conceived and currently on the table, cannot work without restrictions on freedom of movement.”
