Hommam Al Nassim 
Illegal migration from Libya to Europe has been an unmanageable crisis, with multifaceted repercussions as smuggling networks have grown in the Libyan war.
Libya, with its geographical location on the Mediterranean Sea, has become a major transit point for migrants seeking to reach Europe, and the high rates of migration have raised issues related to domestic policies towards dealing with this phenomenon, deepened divisions within the European Community and fueled the popularity of the right with its extreme attitudes towards migrants.
As for Libya, the issue of migrants is subject to the reality of the division between the conflicting parties, which adds a complication to efforts to combat illegal immigration and human smuggling, and this crisis in Libya is distributed over two main areas, the western under the control of the Government of National Unity led by Abdul Hamid Dabaiba, and the eastern under the administration of the government supported by the parliament, and the two sides are trying to control this, and communicate with European partners to find solutions to this crisis, as the eastern government led by Osama Hammad deals in the issue of migration with the countries of origin directly, especially Niger, in an attempt to control the source of the crisis from its roots, and this policy includes closing the main migration routes and negotiating with African countries to organize the return of migrants to their countries safely and legally, as the percentage of migrants arriving to Italy from Libya in 2023 and departing from the coasts of the eastern region (where Haftar’s forces control) has decreased compared to the increase in the percentage of migrants departing from the coasts of the western region subject to Dabaiba, who prefers to cooperate with Italy, which is one of the most important international partners in this file.
The European side most affected by the phenomenon is Italy, where the Italian Interior Minister, Matteo Piantidosi, stated that his country cooperated with Libya and Tunisia on reducing the waves of illegal migration, which prevented the arrival of 121,000 migrants to Italy in 2023, including people whose bodies were recovered at sea, and Piantidosi announced, in his statements during a hearing at the Committee for the Implementation of the Schengen Agreement, the arrest of 550 smugglers in the years 2022 and 2023, and added that 157,000 migrants, including 17,000 Minors arrived in Italy without their parents last year, compared to 105,000 in 2022, including 14,000 minors, which means that there is a significant increase.
Piantidosi acknowledged that these data do not correspond to what his government aspires to, but it is possible that there will be higher numbers if her government did not adopt strict measures, as it was able to deal in the face of the unusual influx where about 140,000 migrants are currently being hosted, and these policies prompted Italy to try to communicate with the Libyan sides, which reflects Rome’s awareness of the importance of Libya as a transit point, and the need to cooperate with all parties to find lasting solutions to the migration crisis. The visit of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Turkey, and her meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month, where discussions were held on ways of cooperation to reduce migration flows through Libya, which confirms the regional role played by Turkey in the Libyan file, as it has influence and close cooperation with the Libyan parties, which made it a strategic partner in addressing this issue, the discussions between Erdogan and Meloni included emphasizing the importance of securing the Libyan borders and strengthening Libyan capabilities in monitoring and controlling migration, in addition to Cooperation in the fields of security and surveillance to combat human smuggling networks.
At the same time, attention is focused on the procedures and agreements that may result from these diplomatic interactions, and how they affect the future of migration from Libya to Europe, in addition to focusing on durable solutions, which requires international and regional cooperation that takes into account security and stability in Libya and addresses the roots of the migration problem, while preserving the rights and dignity of migrants.
The complexities of illegal migration from Libya require comprehensive and sustainable solutions, which go beyond security measures to include improving the economic and social conditions in the countries of origin and promoting a decent life for migrants and refugees.
Written by Nidal Al-Khedary
An Egyptian delegation holds talks in Libya to explore commercial cooperation opportunities