Controversies around the issue of migration in Libya resurfaced around 9 June as Italy refused access to its ports by the Aquarius ship, which is operated by an non-governmental organisation (NGO) to rescue migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea. The incident left over 600 migrants coming from Libya stranded at sea. This new incident adds on the debates on how to deal with the migration phenomenon in Libya, and the division between international powers in the matter. Libya’s role of transit country in the migration crisis which has been affecting Europe explains in part the political agenda developed by some foreign powers such as France or Italy in Libya. Such countries appear to be deploying efforts to contribute to the stabilisation of the country as an attempt to reduce the migrant flow. The European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) published an analysis of Italy’s approach to migration, underlining the hardening of the Italian position over the past months. The article also puts into questions the viability of the EU’s security-focused management of migration.
The unknown fate of migrants departing from Libya