Libya is not ready to receive migrants who are not rescued by its coastguard, the spokesman for the Libyan Navy, Ayoub Qassim, has told the Libya Observer in an interview.

He said the international community is pressing Libya into taking full responsibility for migrants while European countries are shutting down their ports.

“Illegal immigration is not acceptable whether in Libya or in Europe, especially with the endeavours of the NGOs to push it forward with their propaganda campaigns.” Qassim said.

He insisted that Libya won’t take in any migrants who are not rescued by the Libyan coastguard.

Libya, he said, was facing a very dangerous plot as evidenced by the current pressure on the country to make it a settlement place for immigrants.

“Those who leave Libya illegally via the sea should be criminalised as it is very perilous to their own lives and those who make it should be brought to justice. This is how the human rights organizations should deal with the migrants in order to protect them from such dangerous behaviour. Not by taking them into wooden boats at the mercy of the human traffickers.” Qassim remarked.

He said the Libyan coastguard saved over 200 migrants at the end of December.

 

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