The European Commission says there is a clear indication that the Libyan coast guard, which it subsidises, is infiltrated by criminal groups. The statement on Thursday (6 July) from EU commissioner for migration, Ylva Johansson, follows the recent EU handover over of patrol boats to the Libyan coast guard. On 22 June, the European Commission along with Italian authorities gave the Libyan coast guard two patrol boats. The Libyan coast guard are estimated to have intercepted and returned to Libya 120,000 people since 2017. And a UN fact-finding mission, earlier this year, linked the Libyan coast guard to crimes against humanity.

Source: Libya Today July 07, 2023 14:30 UTC