The Minister of the Interior of the Government of Libyan national unity, General Imed Trabelsi, revealed that Libya had more than four million migrants on his soil, a situation which represents a major security and economic challenge for the country.
Speaking during an extended meeting on Monday, Trabelsi said that Libya “will not bear the burden of irregular migration alone and will in no case be a resettlement zone”, insisting that “Libyan sovereignty and national security take precedence over any other consideration”.
The Minister warned against the security and social risks linked to an uncontrolled migration flow, urging the countries concerned to assume their responsibilities by providing concrete support to Libya to deal with this crisis.
He stressed that the real issue lies in securing southern borders, and not only in coast control, as favors the European Union.
Trabelsi has thus called for a strengthening of Libyan capacities, through the supply of modern equipment and technologies to improve border surveillance, the acceleration of voluntary repatriations and the fight against trafficking networks of migrants and human trafficking.
According to the Minister, Libya is under considerable losses due to the consequences of irregular migration and can no longer manage this crisis without clear international support. He also alerted to the fact that armed groups exploit this situation for criminal purposes, thus threatening national and regional stability.
