EU funding to Libya: Hundreds of millions of euros allocated to Tripoli for "protection" and "return" of migrants

Friday, Jul 26, 2024

EU spent over half a billion euros on Libya since 2014, primarily for migration management and border control.

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Brussels has provided over half a billion euros to Libya between 2014 and 2020, primarily for managing migration flows and borders. European Union funds have been implemented through UN agencies, member states, and international organizations rather than directly by Libyan authorities. Recent high-level meetings, such as the Trans-Mediterranean Migration Forum, have strengthened Tripoli’s negotiating position with EU partners, with the national unity government aiming not to bear the full cost of the migration crisis, which translates into political and financial pressure on Brussels for more funds and technical assistance for border control. The EU has allocated funds through various instruments; for instance, 465 million euros were provided between 2014 and 2020, with half supporting migrant protection and refugees, one-third for community stabilization, and the remainder for border control actions. Furthermore, another 100 million euros was mobilized from 2021 to 2023 under Global Europe instruments, with over half dedicated to migrant protection and resilience. The Libyan government can leverage the migration crisis—characterized by an estimated 2.5 million foreigners, 70-80% of whom are undocumented—to negotiate, amid ongoing concerns regarding human rights violations and arbitrary detention reported by NGOs following interceptions.


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