The European Union has approved an additional €25 million in funding to expand migration management cooperation with eastern Libya, as Brussels intensifies efforts to reduce irregular crossings of the Mediterranean into Europe.
The funding, disclosed in a letter from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to EU leaders, will support border management, search and rescue operations, and efforts to combat migrant smuggling.
The move signals deeper EU engagement with eastern Libya, which is controlled by military commander Khalifa Haftar, despite Brussels formally recognising only the Tripoli based government.
Libya has remained a major transit point for migrants attempting dangerous sea journeys to Europe since the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi. The country remains divided between rival administrations in the east and west.
The EU and its member states have previously supported and trained the Libyan coastguard, which intercepts migrant boats at sea. Contacts with eastern Libyan authorities have increased since last year amid a rise in departures from areas under Haftar’s control.
The latest funding follows the EU’s announcement in July that it would establish a Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Benghazi to strengthen coordination with authorities in eastern Libya.
Von der Leyen said Libya remained the leading departure country for irregular crossings into the EU and described continued cooperation as a priority.
She added that the EU and the International Organization for Migration were supporting voluntary returns of migrants from Libya to their countries of origin. The bloc also aims to reduce the number of people travelling to Libya specifically to attempt crossings into Europe.
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