Sunday, 31st May 2009
Libya asks EU for $1bn to combat immigration
Libya has asked Brussels for $1 billion (€707 million) worth of technical assistance and equipment in exchange for more collaboration with Europe on the illegal immigration front.
Following its recent decision to collaborate more closely with Italy and take back immigrants who had left from its shores, Libya is now piling pressure on the EU to provide it with boats, helicopters, trucks and other equipment in an attempt to patrol its borders.
In its efforts to offer tangible help to Malta and Italy to curb these migration flows, the EU is more inclined to offer assistance once Libya has started to show more collaboration.
The EU will be discussing the matter this week, first with EU home affairs ministers in Brussels and then through a visit by EU Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot to Tripoli.
"Finally Libya is engaging, and we want to build on this momentum," an EU official told The Sunday Times.
"Libya has already sent its 'shopping list' to Brussels, which we estimate will cost us around $1 billion. Although we are not giving any commitments we will surely be looking at Libya's demands more favourably once it is showing signs of collaboration."
Libya is considered as the main African transit country for almost all the illegal immigrants arriving on Maltese and Italian shores. It is estimated that in the past two years more than 60,000 sub-Saharan Africans have made the desperate crossing on rugged boats departing Libya for Italy.
International organisations estimate that some 4,000 people drowned as their journeys ended in tragedy.
It is estimated that 20 per cent of Libya's six million population is made up of illegal immigrants, which is causing disquiet on the domestic front since Libyans are blaming the increasing number of African migrants for a variety of social ills.
But the problem is also self-inflicted because for a number of years the country's leader, Muammar Gaddafi, has pro-moted an open border policy and endorsed a vision of a single African state, which would allow free movement of people and goods within the continent.
This has led to about two million Africans flooding into Libya unchallenged.
Following intense pressure by Malta and Italy, particularly in recent months, the European Commission last week endorsed a set of new measures aimed to help the two member states tackle the illegal immigration problem in the short term.
These measures, which will be discussed on Thursday with EU home affairs ministers, include financial assistance, a new mechanism of 'voluntary' bur-den sharing which would enable member states to resettle refugees and those with asylum status from Malta and Italy.
The proposals also include the opening of UNHCR/EU reception centres in north Africa, particularly in Libya, so that asylum seekers may have their applications processed there.
"These extraordinary set of measures have been drawn up in direct response to Malta's and Italy's needs," the EU official said.
"We are hoping that EU interior ministers endorse our proposals on Thursday so that we can start translating plans into action," he said.
The Commission will need the green light from the 27 member states to start implementing these measures. Malta will be represented at the Justice and Home Affairs Council by Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici.
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Comments
@ Joe Fenech
You say 'As an African, it is for people like him to deal with the issues of his continent not for us Europeans and Americans!'
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We (Europe) and to a certain extent the USA have created the condition.
In an excellent read, Dr. John Attard Montalto summed up the whole story of Africa in few lines. On Friday, 14th December 2007 MEP Dr. John Attard Montalto wrote a factual article (The scramble for Africa) here I quote a paragraph: ‘In the colonial period, European nation-states competed between themselves. After World War II, the US permitted Europe to continue to dominate the continent, on the reckoning that the boost to the European economies would boost trade with the US itself.) If I were to use today’ language I would call this designed economic terrorism. No power on earth would stop a hungry human to get food and protection. Immigrants’ issue is putting whole European and western countries at sever test for testing human’ rights and dignity. We are being victimized in between and paying for others greed.
Why should Libya serve as a safety –valve for Europe after all?
"Gaddafi is like many EU politicians know that immigrants are badly needed for the old continent’s future"
Yeah right, that is why EU member states are fighting with each other to get the ILLEGAL immigrants off our hands.
Keep dreaming.
Illegality has no place in the EU.
Gaddafi is on Gaddafi's side period.
Thanks for confirming that you live in another galaxy and reason likewise.
Gaddafi is like many EU politicians know that immigrants are badly needed for the old continent’s future. Equally he has long enough oil pipes to influence decision-makers in EU. So any talks about sanctions or war against Libya are mere spaghetti.
Gaddafi is the winner in two accounts:
If immigrants reach Europe this create tension among the vast majority of racist population. Aren’t northern Italians against their brothers in the south that share same culture, same religions, and same values? Aren’t the English against the Poles? Aren’t the old members bullying smaller members? Aren’t westerners cautious against Easterners?
Gaddafi also knows that If anti immigrants parties are in power this would lead to Europe self-destruction.
Libya didn’t create the problem.
‘In the colonial period, European nation-states competed between themselves. After World War II, the US permitted Europe to continue to dominate the continent, on the reckoning that the boost to the European economies would boost trade with the US itself.’ So says MEP Dr. John Attard Montalto
Gaddafi created the situation himself when he opened his land borders and allowed millions of Africans to go there so Libya should shoulder the responsibility and burden of returning them to their own countries.
Give those €700 million worth of equipment to Malta and give specific orders that all illegal immigrants boats are to be ordered back to Libya.
Also ALL ILLEGAL immigrants presently in Malta must be EXPELLED.
The EU needs to understand that meetings in Brussels and more legislation will not solve the complex issues of globalisation. There is the need to get a business-like Commission that can intervene and engage its resources through the CEO model rather than having to call meetings and more meetings. Governance is the art of taking immediate action where needed and not having to wait until you prepare the red carpets, flowers, gadgets, summits etc.
It would be better if the 1 billion goes to Malta to strengthen its " coast guard" and facilities.
I am also shocked Brussels is entertaining any form of aid to Libya, I wonder had Malta asked for the 1 billion what answer we would get.
Ghaddafi you created the problem, use your oil resources to solve it.
Mur u hallina!
But the EU has asked for it. A robust coastguard repelling boats back to Libyan waters would cost much much less than $1 billion and would have a deterrent effect on potential boat people and their traffickers.
Ghaddafi created the problem and now he wants money to solve it.
That's what you get when European governments listen to the do-gooders in their midst.