Libya Migration Working Group Convenes in Tripoli for third time

The Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and IOM, the UN Migration Agency co-chaired the third Migration Working Group meeting in Tripoli.

During the meeting, held on 25 April, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, participants heard the national identified priorities for international assistance in the areas of migration and analyzed existing modalities to match them with offers of support, aiming to address current challenges. Some of the priorities highlighted the development of policies and strategies for migration management, called for modern Systems and processes to analyze and document the phenomena and identified  Capacity Building, Human Resources development as well as the improvement of conditions in  the current migrant detention centres and at disembarkation points as immediate areas for intervention.

“As the main body for coordination with international partners on this domain, the Migration Working Group is the right venue to present national priorities and to plan for a joint approach, fit to the national context, which would address the needs of those vulnerable. Irregular migration is a shared responsibility,” said Louai Turjiman, Director of European Affairs, Ministry of the Foreign Affairs and the Chair of the meeting.

Engagement of Libyan municipalities and their needs were also discussed, while the private sector presented agriculture initiatives in the South as potential options for the private sector to contribute to addressing migration challenges in Libya.

The Ministry of Labour talked about Labour Migration in Libya with a specific focus on the opportunities for the Libyan labour market assessment to identify professional and economic sectors that suffer from skills and labour development.

“Whilst short-term emergency assistance is paramount, these measures have to be coupled with long-term policy oriented interventions and that is why we have gathered in this Working Group,” said Othman Belbeisi, IOM Libya Chief of Mission and co-chair of the meeting. “This meeting showed concrete steps and genuine determination among all actors towards a comprehensive long-term migration work-plan. The group is developing actionable tools and practical solutions to aid effective migration governance ensuring respect for human rights, while reducing the impacts of irregular migration”.

Launched in November 2017, the Migration Working Group is one of six working groups created under the Coordination Framework for International Technical Cooperation with the State of Libya. The working group aims to coordinate technical assistance and policy advice on approaches to migration, serving as a platform for constructive dialogue. The Migration Working Group will provide a platform for enhancing the coordination of programming and resources on migration in Libya.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).