EP asked to raise Libya and illegal immigration at plenary level

A REPORT submitted last week to the President of the European Parliament, Josep Borell, by an ad hoc EP delegation which visited Libya last December to investigate the state of play of illegal immigration, recommended that the issue should now be moved on to be debated at plenary level with a possibility of a resolution being voted upon.

The report, giving details of all the meetings held between MEPs and Libyan authorities, was submitted by Maltese MEP Simon Busuttil, who led the delegation.

In its conclusions, the delegation's report highlighted the fact that Libya is itself facing a massive influx of immigrants, which is leading to economic, political and social difficulties.

The report states that according to the Libyan authorities, immigrants make up 20 per cent of Libya's population. At the same time Libya has no specific procedure for asylum-seekers as it has not ratified the Geneva Convention.

Co-operation on these issues with EU countries was also raised by the EP delegation and it resulted that the most concrete co-ordination exists only with Italy, which has also signed a specific agreement with Libya. However the EP delegation remarked that "Italy is currently sending back to Libya migrants who might need protection and who in turn are then deported to their country of origin". It also emerged that Italy gave patrol boats to Libya to enable it to monitor its coastline and that it is even paying for repatriation flights performed by the Libyan authorities.

The report, seen by The Sunday Times, gives details of the various meetings the EP delegation held in Libya including those with various government ministers and high officials responsible with migration issues.

During one of the meetings with the Libyan Minister of Interior and Public Security, Nasr Mabrouk Abdullah (who resigned yesterday), the delegation was told that illegal immigrant traffickers are estimated to have a turnover of €4 billion in Libya.

This admission was also mentioned during a meeting with Abdurrahman Shalgam, Libya's Foreign Minister, who admitted the existence of criminal networks dealing with trafficking and also the involvement of Libyan officials. In fact Mr Shalgam said that 30 officials had recently been arrested and accused of participation in these networks.

In his report, Dr Busuttil emphasised the need that the delegation's mission should now be followed closely by the European Parliament.

He recommended that a formal request should be made to follow up this report with a debate in plenary session on the state of co-operation between Libya and the EU regarding immigration, involving the European Commission and the Council, if necessary, with a motion for resolution.

The delegation also recommended that an invitation suggested by the Libyan authorities for a second visit, to the country's southern border, should be taken up by the EP.

"The European Union needs to show more understanding for the serious concern the Libyans have for the difficult situation in the desert, where many lives are at risk and the conditions in the centres are reportedly very tough.

The Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament should therefore consider extending the mandate of the ad hoc delegation, in its current composition, so that this second visit can be completed," Dr Busuttil recommended in his report.