The Libyan Transitional National Council had discovered documents showing that the Gaddafi regime was behind the irregular immigration phenomenon and used it to create difficulties in Europe and Malta, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said yesterday.

Thousands of African migrants have arrived in Malta in the past decade, practically all of whom left from the Libyan coast.

Dr Gonzi was speaking to national broadcaster PBS a day after meeting interim Libyan Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril.

He said the government would ask the UN for the release of €194.5 million in frozen Libyan assets to be used for humanitarian purposes.

Dr Gonzi said that in his meeting it was agreed that government would ask the UN Security Council’s sanctions committee to immediately release the funds.

Dr Gonzi reiterated that Malta and Libya would shortly reactivate the Joint Commission to work on the priorities set out by the National Transitional Council which include security and stability in a post-Gaddafi Libya, the creation of democratic institutions, the start of a process of national reconciliation and strengthening of the humanitarian aid effort.

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