The agreement reached between the European Union and Libya on co-operation in the field of illegal immigration was an important step in the direction that Malta had been advocating for a number of years, Home Affairs Minister for Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici said in a statement.

He said that Malta had consistently maintained that Libya, which is a primary transit country in the flow of immigrants from Africa towards Europe, required assistance to be able to handle the challenges that this phenomenon presents due to Libya’s vast land and sea borders and the large numbers of immigrants transiting through it.

The European Commission delegation to Libya led by Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström reached an agreement with the Libyan authorities which promises to not only assist Libya improve the management of its borders, but also to improve access to international protection for asylum seekers.

The agreement will provide up to €50 million over two years for specific projects to be implemented to reach this aim.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici believes this agreement to be an initial but crucial step in the development of co-operation between Libya and the European Union on matters related to illegal immigration.

He augurs it will serve as a cornerstone for further positive developments in this field in the near future.