Migration will top the agenda of a meeting in Valletta on Monday morning between Libya’s Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and Prime Minister Robert Abela.
Al-Sarraj will be accompanied by Interior Minister, Fathi Bashagha and Foreign Minister, Mohamed Siyala.
While focusing on migration, the meeting it also expected to discuss investment, the sources said.
Monday’s meeting will be a follow-up meeting to that held in Tripoli on May 28 when Abela, Foreign Minister Evarist Bartolo and Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri flew there for a lightning visit.
On that occasion, Malta and Libya had agreed to set up units to coordinate operations against illegal migration. The units became operational on July 1.
The three had met al-Sarraj, who heads the UN-backed Government of National Accord as well as Mohammed Sheibani, deputy minister responsible for migration. It was Abela’s first trip to war-torn Libya as prime minister.
Discussions revolved around the need to push the EU to help Libya to train its coastguard, obtain funding for reception camps manned by the UN, as well as to build a realistic strategy to slow down the flow of migrants into Libya.
Valletta, diplomatic sources say, has been trying to build new bridges with the Libyan authorities to stem the tide of migrants leaving the North African coast.
In a statement issued following the meeting, the government had said that during the meeting Abela reiterated Malta’s position on the need to address and stop human trafficking. Malta, he added, was facing unprecedented and disproportionate flows and burdens.
Meanwhile, al-Sarraj said that 800,000 migrants were currently in Libya and the country needed an effective long-term and holistic approach.
Both leaders spoke about the need to strengthen cooperation to ensure that lives are not lost at sea and to combat human traffickers on the ground and at sea. According to Abela, the solution lies in concrete action on Libyan shores and its southern border. This would be done through addressing and stopping human trafficking, rather than focusing just on relocation of migrants to other countries.
Signing a memorandum of understanding, Malta and Libya agreed to set up a coordination unit in each country to assist in operations against illegal migration. The agreement also stipulates that Malta supports Libya when it comes to financial assistance through the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework.