Migration

The issue of migration is one of the most pressing issues facing Libya today. The issue is constantly exacerbating, as the number of migrants is increasing over the past years for different reasons. Some migrants seek protection from political persecution, or war and conflict; others seek a better life, away from poverty and other difficulties. However, in the current political situation, very little support and protection are available to migrants in Libya. A better management of migration, improved knowledge on the situation and most importantly, the political implementation of solutions to improve the situation are crucial.

The difficult political situation and division that Libya has been witnessing since 2011 had very negative impacts on the management of migration. The situation makes it difficult for official actors in Libya to address migration systematically and focused on the improvement of human rights. The suffering of migrants in Libya keeps increasing, conditions in official and unofficial detention centers are violating human rights. Due to the political and security situation in Libya, reliable reports and information about migrants and their living conditions are difficult to obtain. Agreements and initiatives agreed upon by local authorities in Libya are mostly not implemented. This makes the task of assessing the real situation of migrants in Libya very difficult. The Libya office of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation works with different experts and Libyan and international civil society on the issue of migration in Libya.

A special focus is placed on discussing agreements and treaties signed by the Libyan state with international parties or the European Union. Additionally, FES conducts studies and policy papers in collaboration with its partners in order to highlight some of the main difficulties and obstacles migrants are facing in Libya and what political conditions are preventing the implementation of agreements and initiatives to provide human security to migrants. FES also works with experts and civil society to adopt a set of recommendations to improve the management of migration flows, respect human rights and alleviate the suffering of vulnerable migrants. The project will strengthen the abilities of the Libyan partners to contribute to offering solutions and enabling them to mitigate the impact of migration and other issues that are related to it, such as smuggling trafficking and other criminal activity in the country.