I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 130 together.
I share the Deputy’s concerns about the conditions that many migrants are facing in Libya. The EU collectively, as well as member states working alone, have been working hard to try to improve conditions on the ground.
The political situation in Libya remains complex. No single government has controlled Libya since the fall of Colonel Gaddafi, and at the present time there are a number of competing governments in Libya, none of which control more than a portion of the territory. As a result the humanitarian, economic and security situation is precarious and complicates EU engagement with the Libyan authorities, including on migration. The formation of a functioning government in Libya is therefore a central objective for the EU, and will be a critical step towards addressing the migration crisis in the Mediterranean.
At their summit meeting in March, EU Heads of State and Government set out the EU’s commitment to assist Libya in their Malta Declaration. That commitment is broad-ranging including capacity building, training, and the provision of equipment and support for the Libyan national coast guard and other agencies. It also seeks to ensure that there are adequate reception capacities in Libya for migrants, including through working with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
In April, the EU approved a €90 million programme to step up protection of migrants and to reinforce migration management in Libya. A key objective is to provide multi-sectoral assistance and protection to migrants, refugees and host communities in different locations inside Libya, in particular inside detention centres, at disembarkation points and in urban settings. This programme is being implemented through a number of international agencies including the UNHCR and UNICEF. The €90m is in addition to the €120 million already announced by the EU for migration-related support for Libya.
Individual EU member states are also addressing the migration situation in Libya. The Interior ministers of France, Germany and Italy along with the European Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs, met in Paris on 2 July and agreed, inter alia, to enhance support to the Libyan coastguard by increasing training activities and providing additional financial support while at the same time ensuring close monitoring of activities and to provide additional support to the IOM and the UNHCR to enable facilities in Libya to reach international standards in terms of living conditions and human rights. They also agreed to accelerate the EU Relocation scheme agreed in 2015.
Ireland has been playing its part in trying to address the migration crisis through voluntarily opting into the EU Relocation scheme; giving generous humanitarian assistance to countries housing large numbers of migrants and through our naval presence in the Mediterranean. As regards Libya specifically, for the past two years Irish Aid has deployed two Rapid Responders from its Rapid Response Corps to the UNICEF Libya Country Office based in Tunis to support UNICEF’s work with migrants.
