On 16 June, European Commission spokesperson Eric Mamer denied accusations that the European Union (EU) was helping smugglers in Libya as it steps up cooperation with Libyan authorities accused of colluding with smugglers and traffickers. Mamer’s denial follows a UN special report released earlier this year that said the EU and its member states, directly or indirectly, provided monetary, technical, and logistical support to the Libyan Coast Guard (LCG) and its department of combatting illegal migration (DCIM), both of which the report accused of working with traffickers and smugglers.
