Hommam Al Nassim 
Libya is witnessing a wide debate after the announcement by the expired National Unity Government, headed by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, to activate a special sponsorship system to regulate the labor system in the country.
The decision has sparked mixed reactions and raised questions about its objectives, and whether the government aims to put pressure on countries like Egypt and Morocco, which are major sources of labor in Libya.
Dbeibeh’s Minister of Labor, Ali Al-Abed, confirmed that the ministry will adopt the special sponsorship system, and local companies will be the official sponsor before the Libyan state for foreign labor that will be brought in through the electronic system recently launched by the ministry.
Al-Abed said, “This step will help facilitate procedures and eliminate bureaucracy regarding the issue of bringing in labor from abroad.”
However, the decision was met with reactions and surprise from some countries, especially Egypt and Morocco, where the sponsorship system was considered a failed experiment in the Gulf countries, raising questions about the feasibility of applying it in Libya.
Observers questioned Dbeibeh’s goal with this decision, whether it is to organize the labor file, or to pressure certain countries by exploiting the labor issue.
The president of the Libyan-Moroccan Friendship Association, Mohamed Hassan Al-Wathiq, explained that “the Libyan government’s approach to adopting the special sponsorship system for bringing in foreign labor poses a series of challenges for Moroccans residing in this country, who face a range of economic and administrative difficulties related to this decision.”
Al-Wathiq pointed out that “the sponsorship system is a kind of modern-day slavery, especially since this experience has proven to be a failure in many Arab countries.”
For his part, the Libyan Deputy Minister of Labor, Abdel Hadi Omar Suleiman Al-Qadi, confirmed that the sponsorship system is an organizational process aimed at regulating the entry of workers through the state’s legal entry points and counting the number of workers, ensuring the rights of workers in case the sponsor fails to provide services and entitlements.
Al-Qadi clarified that the system is not institutionalized slavery as is rumored, but ensures workers’ rights, as evidenced by previous cases that ruled in their favor, according to him.
Al-Qadi noted that the decision might affect the number of workers due to the imposition of fees and taxes, but given the presence of two governments and the current political division, the success and implementation of the decision might be moderate. He emphasized that Libya needs to regulate labor and control their presence to ensure their rights and provide care for them.
Saleh Fahema, a member of the Legislative Committee of the Libyan House of Representatives, believes that if the sponsorship system is implemented properly without exploitation, it will benefit everyone. However, he warned that political orientations might cause labor to move between areas of influence of the different governments, stressing the need for consensus on such decisions related to sovereignty and national security.
For his part, Ahmed Hamouma, a member of the Supreme State Council in Libya, pointed out that Libya has become a stage for labor from all countries, and in the absence of legislation, it was necessary for the government to try to organize the employment of these workers in various ways.
Hamouma confirmed that having a sponsor who bears social and administrative responsibility before the state and the embassies of the arrivals is a first step under the interim government.
It is worth noting that the decision to activate the sponsorship system in Libya raises questions about its real objectives and its implications for foreign labor, especially in light of the failed experiments of the sponsorship system in other countries. Given the political division in the country, the success of the decision’s implementation and its impact on labor remain open to discussion.
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