On 18 March, Minister of Interior (MoI) Emad Trabelsi chaired a meeting with European Union and African Union diplomats, as well as with representatives from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to address irregular migration in Libya. Trabelsi stressed the need to secure southern borders, rather than solely monitoring coasts as the EU suggests, and called for more international support. Trabelsi warned of severe security and economic challenges and urged affected countries to provide practical assistance, such as modern border surveillance equipment and support for voluntary deportations.
During this meeting, MoI Trabelsi outlined a three-step plan to address Libya’s migration crisis. The first step is to secure the southern border and stop the flow of migrants. The second step is to deport migrants from Libya by land and sea in an ‘organized and ethical’ manner. The third step is to launch a national security operation against human trafficking gangs led by Libyans. He stressed the financial burden of deportations and called for international support, particularly from the EU. Trabelsi explained that the cost of food for a migrant is no less than 30 dinars [per day], while the cost of providing shelter is around 4,000 dinars a month. The cost of deportation by air ranges from $900 to $1,300 per migrant, while deportation by land costs more than 2,000 dinars per person. The MoI highlighted Libya’s generosity in hosting ‘millions’ of migrants and providing them with services free of charge, and affirmed that Libya will not become a settlement zone for migrants. He called for national unity to address migration issues and condemned violent protests against migrants. Trabelsi stated that ‘we are not against the principle of demonstrations’ and affirmed that ‘the voice and message of the citizen has already been heard’, claiming, ‘the [interior] ministry is ready to cooperate with authorities in the south to secure the borders. At least 100,000 migrants are to be deported within four months, possibly reaching 700,000 by the end of the year.’
On the same day, the National Security Committee of Libya’s High Council of State (HCS), chaired by Abdel Fattah Hablous, firmly rejected any attempts to settle illegal immigrants in the country. During their meeting, they discussed the challenges posed by illegal immigration, emphasizing its significant impact on Libya’s social, economic, and demographic stability.