European Parliament press service

Brussels, 17.03.06

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

EU- Libya cooperation on immigration "is imperative", conclude MEPs

 

 

The members of the EP delegation to Libya adopted a report with the conclusions obtained after their official trip to Tripoli, on December 2005, which will be discussed next Monday before the Civil Liberties Committee. The aim of this delegation was to assess the magnitude of the problem of illegal immigrants arriving in the Italian island of Lampedusa from Libya, and to “verify the legitimacy of the actions of both countries authorities” on this issue. MEPs concluded that “EU-Libya co-operation on immigration is imperative”.

 

In their evaluation, the members state that there is a “clear realisation” on both sides, the EU and Lybia, that illegal immigration is a common problem that “requires a clear political commitment to co-operate in order to find a common solution”. MEPs are mainly concerned about the “lack of organisational capacity and management skills” in Libya “to deal effectively with the immigrants”. This is even more serious bearing in mind that this country, which is facing itself a “massive influx of immigrants”, has “no specific procedure for asylum seekers”. The report reminds that 20% of Libya population is said to consist of immigrants and regrets the fact that “Libya has not ratified the Geneva Convention on refugees' status and has no cooperation protocol with the local office of the UNHCR”.

 

MEPs pointed out that the agreements with this African country have been concluded only on a “bilateral basis”. Yet the magnitude of the problem obliges to a “greater coherence” on this issue at EU level and with the engagement of the Council and the Commission as well. "Libya lacks the organisational capacity and management skills to deal effectively with the immigrants", MEPs stressed in the report. They also insisted that both sides have to deal with the question of illegal immigration: "Italy sends back to Libya migrants who might need protection and who in turn are then deported to their country of origin". In this sense, the delegation has noticed that Libyan authorities are "more favourably disposed to co-operating” as compared to previous EP Delegation visit, in April 2005.

 

The delegation, nominated by the political groups, was chaired by Simon Busuttil (EPP-ED, MT) and composed by Boguslaw SONIK (EPP-ED, PL), Pasqualina NAPOLETANO (PES, IT), Wolfgang KREISSL-DÖRFLER (PES, DE), Hélène FLAUTRE (Greens-EFA, FR) and Francesco Enrico SPERONI (IND/DEM, IT).

 

Full version of the report as adopted on February 2006: click here.

 

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