The Head of the Anti-Illegal Immigration Agency in the eastern region of Libya, Brigadier General Rafe Al-Baragathi said that Libya is “fighting the smuggling mafia alone without any international support.”
In an interview with Libya’s Al-Wasat newspaper, Al-Baragathi said the southern Libyan borders extend over 2,000 kilometers, and are difficult to fully secure. He pointed to the ongoing international embargo on the Libyan army, which hinders its ability to obtain the necessary resources to secure the borders. Under these circumstances, there has been an increase in the influx of migrants.
“The human trafficking mafia does not receive support from within Libya. The migration issue is a thorny one that affects major and advanced countries, while Libya is left alone to deal with the growing phenomenon,” he said.
He added that the situation has “affected the work of the Agency in the eastern region, as the government in Tripoli did not provide any support for the Agency.” He also complained about the lack of resources and support to enable the Agency, to carry out its duties.
Al-Baragathi noted that support comes from the General Command of the Libyan National Army (LNA), “despite the restrictions and embargo imposed on it. Nevertheless, it always provides support for all security agencies in the eastern region.”
“The recent campaign carried out by the armed forces and security agencies to strike at human trafficking networks is evidence of the efforts to combat this phenomenon, but international support is still lacking,” he said.
Al-Baragathi stated that “there is a wave of displacement of Sudanese nationals who have entered the country, and there is already a database for them in coordination with the Sudanese community.”
Regarding the numbers of migrants in the shelters under the eastern region’s control, he noted that there are currently around 3,000 people from various nationalities.
In 2022, the Agency was able to deport around 20,000 migrants to their countries of origin, with efforts ongoing.
He noted that there is cooperation between the Agency and the Border Guards, as well as coordination with neighbouring countries regarding the repatriation of their nationals. “However, there is a problem with the Egyptian authorities, when the migrant does not carry any personal identification or passport, they refuse to accept them,” he added.