The United Nations envoy for Libya warned recently of the potential for military escalation in Libya.

She told the UN security council that the presence of foreign mercenaries and weaponry – with Turkey supporting the UN-backed government of Fayez al-Sarraj against the Russian-backed Libyan National Army of Khalifa Haftar – was a violation of an arms embargo and Libya becoming “a pure proxy war”.

She stated that “the only conclusion is that this war will intensify, broaden and deepen”.

It is into this maelstrom of a conflict escalating out of control on Malta’s doorstep that Prime Minister Robert Abela stepped last week. Accompanied by the minister for foreign affairs and the minister for home affairs, Abela met the head of the Government of National Accord, al-Sarraj, in Tripoli to discuss migration.

The prime minister’s plans appear shrouded in secrecy. This is a pity as the stakes are so high, both domestically and internationally, that if what he hopes to achieve goes awry he will find himself isolated.

The position taken on the use of a flotilla of pleasure boats to hold scores of migrants at sea does not appear to have impressed many in the EU.

From the little that has been gleaned from reports of Abela’s discussions in Tripoli with al-Sarraj and his minister for migration, under a Memorandum of Understanding Malta and Libya will be setting up units ‘to coordinate operations against illegal migration within the coming weeks’. The MOU also stipulates that Malta will support Libya when it came to financial aid through the next Multiannual Financial Framework.

According to a source, the discussions focussed on the need to encourage the EU to help Libya train its coastguard, to obtain funding for reception camps manned by the UN, and to build a realistic strategy to slow the flow of migrants into Libya.

The prime minister underlined Malta’s position on the need to address and stop human trafficking in the face of “unprecedented and disproportionate flows and burdens”. Abela said the solution lay in concrete action on Libyan shores and its southern border. Al-Sarraj reminded him that 800,000 migrants were currently in Libya. The country needed an effective long-term and holistic approach.

While Abela’s desire to be seen to be doing something on an issue of such strategic importance to Malta is absolutely understandable – and to be commended (at least we are relieved to know that this time the government did not rely on notorious official Neville Gafa for its Libya affairs) – it is difficult not to be left with a feeling of déjà vu. Virtually every point arising from the reported discussions with al-Sarraj has been made repeatedly in the last few years of Libya’s civil war with little discernible effect.

There may be some tangible benefit to be obtained from joint Maltese-Libyan coordination of operations against migration, but only if the GNA is able to prevent people traffickers from plying their nefarious operations out of Tripoli effectively and efficiently.

The crux of the issue is that unless Malta can persuade Brussels that Operation Irini should include the protection of Europe’s southern borders from another migrant surge across the central Mediterranean, bilateral talks between Malta and Libya are only of limited value.

Apart from talking with Libya, Abela also needs to actively engage  with EU bosses about the consequences for Europe of doing nothing.