Illegal migrants are seen at an illegal migration reception center in Tripoli, Libya, on Feb. 22, 2018. Libyan on Thursday called on the international community to help resolve the problem of illegal migration which has burdened the war-torn country. (Xinhua/Hamza Turkia)
TRIPOLI, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Libyan on Thursday called on the international community to help resolve the problem of illegal migration which has burdened the war-torn country.
Mohamed Sayala, Libyan foreign minister of the UN-backed government, issued the call at the tripartite international committee on illegal migration in Libya attended by the African Union, the European Union and United Nations.
The meeting is aimed at discussing ways of cooperation to assist the stranded migrants in Libya and to facilitate their deportation to the countries of origin.
Sayala said European countries should help Libya develop an electronic monitoring system to secure the borders, and to establish development projects in the countries of origin to reduce the flow of illegal migrants.
The meeting was attended by Commissioner of Social Affairs of African Union Amira Al-Fadel and EU Ambassador to Libya Bettina Muscheidt, as well as officials of the United Nations Mission in Libya and international organizations dealing with the issues of migration and humanitarian relief.
"Libya has provided all the requirements and continues to provide assistance needed by the migrants in the reception centers, despite lack of any international support for Libya in this regard," Sayala said.
The Libyan minister mentioned that Libyan law criminalizes the entry into Libya without a visa, while stressing that the Libyan society rejects the resettlement of illegal migrants in the country still reeling from a civil war.
"Libya has nothing to hide from the international community on illegal immigration. The reception centers are open to all regional and international organization," Sayala added.
Al-Fadel confirmed that the African Union would continue to support Libya's efforts to combat illegal immigration through coordination with the Libyan authorities to identify migrants.
She revealed that there is a possibility of starting to collect and prepare a database on immigrants, and cooperating in training of Libyans to do the job.
Following the meeting, the participants visited the illegal immigration reception center in the Libyan capital Tripoli and met with its officials there.
Commenting on the visit, Brigadier Mohamed Beshr, head of the Libyan anti-illegal immigration department of the Ministry of Interior, said that the committee and the department agreed on holding consultations on future cooperation on fighting illegal migration.
The two sides agreed to continue consultation on providing a support package for the anti-illegal immigration department and training personnel to build a database to track the migrants so to facilitate the process of deporting them to their countries of origin, Beshr told Xinhua.
Libya has become a preferred departure point for illegal immigrants from Africa to cross the Mediterranean into Europe, in order to flee their home countries affected by violence, war and poverty.
