Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio denied on Wednesday claims that his government is providing funds for the Libyan Coast Guard, after several NGOs called for Italian funding to be halted due to human rights violations committed by Libya’s guard.
“The strengthening of the Libyan authorities capacity to conduct search and rescue operations in their own areas of responsibility, respecting international norms, is one of the lines pursued by the [Italian] government,” Di Maio told the Italian parliament.
“It fits into the framework of initiatives to encourage a management [of migrant flows] that is more respectful of international standards on irregular flows and to combat the trafficking of human beings,” he said.
Di Maio underscored that Italy “has not and will not fund the Libyan Coast Guard”.