Inside smuggling trade bringing migrants from Africa to Europe

As Europe struggles to cope with the flow of migration, General Haftar’s regime has spotted an opportunity.

“Every time [migration] statistics go up, they trigger a panic in Italy or Greece,” human rights expert Jalal Harchaoui tells us.

“All of a sudden the Europeans become much nicer and much more apt to offer all kinds of gifts and incentives.”

The Italian government’s controversial deal with West Libya’s government to intercept illegal boats at sea and return migrants to their home countries is constantly referred to.

In the east, the deal is viewed as a lucrative business venture and they now want a slice of the cake.

From its own deals with Europe, General Haftar’s regime would also want recognition of sovereignty over the territory they hold, Mohammad Eljarh, an expert on Libyan affairs, tells us.

Mr Eljarh says: “As a parallel government that Europe doesn’t recognise, they will always tell me ‘why should we do anything to stop this?’

“‘We are under-resourced. We don’t have the manpower to deal with something like this.”

That may well be the warning as well as the implicit threat which could prompt more controversial ‘pullback’ business deals with the different authorities in Libya, internationally-recognised or not.

Responding to our report on behalf of the East Libyan authorities, Lt Gen Essam Mohammed Abu Zariba said the detention centres “operate in accordance with the laws and regulations in force”. 

“We are keen to ensure that no legal violations or human-rights abuses occur inside these centres, and we affirm that all residents there—who are irregular migrants—are treated in a manner befitting human dignity,” he said. 

“Nevertheless, we do not rule out the possibility that there may be individual violations by some members,” he added.  

“If such acts occur, they do not represent the ministry’s approach, and those responsible are fully subject to legal accountability once the charges against them are proven.”

Lt Gen Zariba described claims that East Libya is attempting to use the migration crisis to manipulate the West as “entirely false”.