Libya is “at war” against human traffickers “who send migrants to die at sea”, but also against all “criminals involved in the smuggling of oil, fuel and drugs”, Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh told Italian news agency Nova on Monday.
Speaking during an interview on the sidelines of the Italy-Africa summit in Rome, Dbeibeh elaborated that this “a continuous war against human trafficking and also against other criminals.”
“Let’s stop fuel sumggling, along with other trafficking such as cocaine. It’s a complicated issue. Those who help immigrants to die at sea also commit other crimes at the same time. We will continue to fight these criminals for humane reasons and to protect our sovereignty and our country,” the Libyan premier explained to Nova.
Libya, highlights Dbeibeh, does not export migrants, but is a transit country for those trying to reach European coasts.
“We are just the route from Africa to Europe. Libya is just a hub, the last stop before the sea. Our country’s capacity is limited. This is why we invite everyone, on the European side, to collaborate and help us. It is not the responsibility of a single country to fight this type of phenomenon.”
We hope that the Italian government can help us and it is already doing so. It is the best partner from this point of view. We hope we can progress with some concrete programs and plans to limit this flow,” he adds.