Libyan conflict created migration crisis in Italy, says US president
Tripoli Libya (PANA) - US President Donald Trump Thursday said at a news conference the Libyan conflict had caused an illegal migration crisis which put an unprecedented pressure on Italy, local media reported here.
Trump said this at the end of talks with his Italian counterpart, Sergio Mattarella, who paid a visit to the United States on Wednesday.
Early this month, Italy called for intensive diplomatic approaches to achieve stability in Libya in a bid to face the illegal crisis.
Italy’s appeal was made when the Italian minister of foreign affairs announced a new governmental decree on the acceleration of the repatriation of illegal migrants from 13 countries, including Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.
Libya has been for decades facing waves of illegal migrants from several African and Asian countries the majority of whom established in the country, which is rich in oil and gas resources.
But following the popular uprising that overthrew the regime of Mouamar Ghaddafi in 2011 and after the NATO bombardments that destroyed the military and security institution in Libya, causing the prevailing insecurity in the country.
Due to the search for greener pastures, migrants prefer boarding fortune boats to join the northern side of the Mediterranean.
The rate of the waves of illegal migrants continued because of the search for better living, far from the wars, conflicts and poverty that prevail in their respective countries despite the threats linked to their exploitation by rings of human traffickers and drowning at sea.
-0- PANA MA/IN/TBM/SOC/MSA/RA 17Oct2019