[euronews.net] Libya has been given a major financial boost from the European Union
to help combat illegal immigration. It follows a unilateral agreement
between the north African country and Italy to carry out joint maritime
patrols in the Mediterranean. At a meeting in Tripoli, the EU’s
external relations commissioner announced a package worth 20 million
euros to help strengthen Libya’s border controls. Tripoli has long been
seen as a unofficial gateway to southern Europe, but one which the EU
wishes to close.
In recent years tens of
thousands of migrants have made the perilous sea journey across the
Mediterranean in a bid to escape poverty in their home countries. In
2008, the number arriving in Italy, by boat rose by 75 percent to
36,000. Brussels has been trying to renew ties with Libya after the
north African country gave up its banned weapons program in 2003. The
deal is thought to be a first step towards forming a free trade
agreement and cooperation on areas such as foreign policy and security.
