Al-Trabelsi: Libya cannot handle migration crisis alone

The Acting Interior Minister of Libya’s Government of National Unity, Emad Al-Trabelsi, has warned that irregular migration is inflicting what he described as “severe and escalating damage” on Libya, its neighbours, and Europe.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Al-Trabelsi revealed that an investigative assessment carried out by the Internal Security Agency and the Criminal Investigation Department—working jointly with economic institutions—found that an estimated $7.2bn is drained annually from Central Bank funds to cover the costs of nearly three million migrants in the country and the state’s efforts to curb the phenomenon.

Al-Trabelsi said the migration crisis had deprived young Libyans of more than one million job opportunities and placed “immense pressure” on fuel supplies and the power grid. He noted that since July, the ministry had been developing a National Project for the Repatriation of Irregular Migrants, adding that thousands were deported in October through coordinated air flights arranged with their countries of origin.

Providing field statistics, the minister said the Interior Ministry received 90 reports in 2025 related to migrant rescues, resulting in 3,626 people saved and 32 bodies recovered. He presented a breakdown of monthly figures—ranging in the hundreds—and expressed regret that “a lack of resources” meant some migrants could not be rescued in time.

Al-Trabelsi also highlighted a demographic shift, stressing that families now make up 70% of migrants in Libya, increasing the likelihood of long-term settlement. He reiterated that Libyans strongly reject European policies of intercepting migrants at sea and returning them to Libya, saying such actions only “re-create overcrowding and deepen the crisis”.

“If Europe wishes to protect its shores,” he said, “the Government of National Unity is prepared to work jointly to support a national deportation programme. We want an agreed, official mechanism to return migrants to their home countries.”

The minister attributed the scale of the crisis to years of political division and the collapse of Libya’s security institutions since 2010, which he said had allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants to enter the country. He added that the issue of terrorism remains closely tied to irregular migration due to the uncontrolled movement of individuals across Libyan territory.

On labour regulation, Al-Trabelsi acknowledged that Libya needs foreign workers but insisted that the process must be properly organised. He said the ministry was ready to issue residency permits for all existing migrant workers in coordination with the Ministries of Economy, Labour, and Health.

He appealed to the European Union, the African Union, and Arab states to provide meaningful support, stressing that current levels of assistance are “nowhere near proportionate” to the scale of the challenge. “It is impossible for Libya alone to shoulder this burden,” he said.