On 13 October, Reuters reported that according to a letter from President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen to European Union (EU) member state leaders, the EU has signed an additional €25 million ($29 million) in funding to expand migration cooperation into eastern Libya. The funding is dedicated to support border management, search-and-rescue operations and anti-smuggling activities in eastern Libya.
Von der Leyen wrote, “Libya remains the top country of departure for illegal crossings to the EU.” She described an upcoming EU-Libya Technical Dialogue as a way to keep cooperation going. The President of the European Commission emphasized that the EU and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) were supporting voluntary returns from Libya to countries of origin, adding “We are equally focused on reducing the number of migrants arriving to Libya with the sole intention to cross illegally into the EU.”
On 14 October, a Commission spokesman replied to a question from InfoMigrants: “Our political and technical-level engagement with Libya remains crucial. [The comprehensive nature of cooperation] allows us to deter irregular departures and disincentivize dangerous journeys, while also creating beneficial opportunities for socio-economic development, strengthening protection-related capacity and upholding human rights.” He said the EU works with the Government of National Unity (GNU) as well as authorities throughout the country, including in the East. He added, “Our technical dialogue on migration includes representatives from both Benghazi and Tripoli and several meetings have taken place in Brussels and in Libya over the past years.”
Moreover, he emphasized the EU’s objectives in engaging with Libya: supporting Libya in strengthening migration and border management, improving conditions for migrants and asylum seekers, ensuring compliance with international standards and norms, and reinforcing dialogue mechanisms. Finally, he stressed that it is of paramount importance to work together with Libya to prevent dangerous journeys and loss of lives across the Mediterranean.