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Additional ResourcesOverview Migration ActivitiesGiven its geographical position as a gateway between Africa and Europe and the dynamic economic growth – approximately 6 per cent per year – together with the vast extension of its borders both in the desert and the sea, Libya attracts intense migration flows not only from Sub-Saharan countries, Northern and other African countries but recently also from the Middle East and Asia. While migration is significantly contributing to the economic development of Libya, the massive presence of irregular and stranded migrants has to be faced in a farseeing and strategic manner in order to minimize the negative aspects related to irregular migration. As a participating and chair country during the 2009 5+5* Dialogue on Migration, Libya has committed itself to a comprehensive and balanced approach to migration issues. In this context, IOM has been asked to contribute to emergency issues and to support long-term strategies. The IOM Mission in Tripoli, established in April 2006, closely cooperates with the former Libyan Government, specifically through its migration management programmes, which spell out priorities to be addressed. Areas of collaboration include capacity building, assistance to stranded migrants including assisted voluntary return and reintegration, migration and health, research, labour migration and border management, as well as counter-trafficking. * This includes the Maghreb countries (Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia) plus the "arc Latin" (France, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain)
Movement, Emergency and Post-crisis Migration Management DonorsThrough several projects implemented since July 2006, the IOM Mission in Libya has facilitated the return and reintegration of nearly 5,000 migrants from 25 different countries (mainly sub-Saharan African countries). Support to resettlements, return to Libya and transit to other countries via Libya has been also offered to 400 persons in need. The creation of a network including Asian/African Embassies, the Catholic Church, World Islamic Call Society (WICS) and Libyan civil society has allowed an extensive outreach of potential beneficiaries. Furthermore, the establishment of a dedicated Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) Centre provided adequate solutions for confidential interviews and screening of the candidates. To ensure proper sustainability of return, IOM is providing beneficiaries with adequate support to start income-generating activities, during all phases of their return (elaboration of reintegration plan, monitoring and follow-up). The reintegration package, which is usually provided in kind and which can cover different areas (such as micro-small business start up, education and vocational training support, etc.) represents an added value to the return, also responding to the basic principle, enshrined in the IOM Constitution, of the dignity of the return. A bridge project has been negotiated with donors to provide continuity, after the completion of the Reintegration Programme for Stranded Migrants in Libya and Morocco (LIMO) funded by the European Commission (EC), Italy and the United Kingdom (UK) during 2010, to the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) activities implemented in Libya since 2006. The project is designed to complement other initiatives of IOM and the former Government of Libya, enhancing Libyan capacities to consolidate reception and voluntary return conditions for irregular migrants in Libya, and places strong emphasis on the provision of humanitarian assistance to stranded migrants and the support to the voluntary return of some 200 irregular migrants from Libya, and their reintegration in selected countries of origin. Projects
Regulating Migration DonorsIOM's activities in regulating migration involve border management and counter-trafficking. Implemented since February 2010, the project "Prevention and Management of Irregular Migration Flows from Sahara Desert to Mediterranean Sea" (SAHMED) aims to address the constraints Libya has encountered in dealing with the growing migratory pressure from Sub-Saharan Africa. The project envisages, in the largest part, enhancement of border management through the provision of technical equipment and building local capacity in migration management. In Libya, these activities will be carried out by the IOM Mission working in close cooperation with the Italian and Libyan Ministries of Interior. In particular, IOM will be responsible for training border police in the field of treatment of vulnerable groups and respect for human rights, assessment missions and structural support to the Libyan holding centres as well as the voluntary return and reintegration of 600 stranded migrants from Libya to Sub-Saharan African countries. The Libyan ownership of the programme will be ensured through the active participation of the previous General People’s Committee (GPC) for Public Security, the former Ministry of Interior under Ghadaffi's regime in these meetings. The project is funded by the European Commission (EC) and the Italian Ministry of Interior and implemented by Italy in collaboration with the governments of Libya, Greece and IOM over a period of three years. Although official data on Trafficking in Human Beings are not available, the enormous caseload of irregular migrants should alert about the considerable risk of exploitation of vulnerable migrants. In order to reduce such risk, IOM Tripoli developed a comprehensive strategy, based on the "3-P Approach", aimed at Preventing trafficking, Prosecuting traffickers and Protecting victims through the involvement of a wide range of Libyan counterparts active in this field, such as Libyan civil society and law enforcement officials. Capitalizing on the positive outcomes of PROMETEO I, a regional project launched in April 2009, the PROMETEO II (Providing Relief Services to Vulnerable Migrants in Libyan Holding Centres) project is intended to consolidate a multidisciplinary model of intervention, aimed at reinforcing national responses with respect to the prosecution of traffickers/smugglers and at assisting vulnerable migrants with a specific focus on those kept under administrative detention. In close coordination with relevant Libyan Authorities and through the set up of a team of trained relief providers belonging to Libyan NGOs in April 2010, IOM has started its activities in the Holding Centre of Tueisha, which hosts up to 650 irregular migrants. The project is pursuing a two-fold aim: a) improving the Centre's standards and the living conditions through the introduction of relief services and b) building the capacities of civil society organizations as well as governmental authorities by supporting them in identifying their respective roles and enhancing their skills. In the framework of this initiative, the team of relief providers, seconded by local NGOs and supervised by IOM, is currently accessing the Tueisha Centre twice a week, providing relief support and basic health counselling. Projects
Migration and Health DonorThe former Libyan government’s fight against irregular migration turns out an average of 4,000 irregular migrants hosted in dedicated premises, which are placed in crucial points on the border and along the main irregular migration routes, as well as close to the main cities. The reception centres host also a high number of migrants who experience a long stay, given that the situation in their country of origin is not conducive to their return. Considering the relatively recent sharp increase and diversification in migration flows targeting Libya, the premises and buildings currently used to host irregular migrants – so called "holding centres" – had not been projected and designed for this purpose and therefore are still inadequate in terms of quantitative capacity and require enhancement of management skills. Upon a specific request submitted by the previous General People's Committee for Health, the former Ministry of Health under Ghadaffi's regime, IOM activated a project aimed at assessing the health conditions in several holding centres located in different areas of the country. Following capacity building activities targeting its local project partners – World Islamic Call Society, National Center for Infectious Diseases and Libyan Red Crescent – an assessment mission has been conducted in seven holding centers to gather relevant information on the hygienic situation, on applicable healthârelated rules and regulations, on public sanitary risks to which migrants and staff are exposed and on accessibility to public health services. This information has allowed drafting a set of recommendations and minimum standards for public health management procedures in reception centers, which has been submitted in July 2010 to the General People's Committee for Health previously under Ghadaffi's regime. Project
Labour Migration Rapid economic growth, increasing investments, as well as lack of manpower is making Libya one of the most attractive labour markets in Africa. On the other hand, its proximity to Europe, the porosity of its borders and the leading role played by the country on the African scenario are attracting thousands of irregular migrants, putting an additional burden on an already difficult situation. While acknowledging possible consequences that an uncontrolled outflow of skilled manpower can have on the development of countries of origin, IOM encourages, within certain limitations and following specific requirements, the start up of such mechanisms to facilitate legal migration to industrialized countries, in order to meet labour demands that cannot be matched any more by local work supply. The regional programme Facilitating a Coherent Migration Management Approach in Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Libya aims at developing the capacity of Libya as a receiving country to develop labour migration management policies, as well as at developing a common approach to labour migration with four selected African countries of origin. Project activities include sharing experiences with sending countries through a number of international meetings, enhancement of bilateral cooperation on labour migration between Ghana and Libya, a national workshop and migration legislation development, training on job-matching schemes and creation of a database, informational campaign on risks of irregular migration with an African music concert held in Tripoli in October 2009, as well as research and recommendations for the previous Libyan government on labour migration management. Project
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IOM Libya
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
P.O. Box 6748
Hay Al Andalos Post Office
Tripoli
| Tel: | +21.82 14 77 78 38 |
| +21.82 14 78 24 68 | |
| Fax: | +21.82 14 77 78 39 |
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