Last week, the report on the Impact of the Libyan Conflict,
for which I was co-rapporteur, was adopted with unanimity by the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA)
The Joint Parliamentary Assembly is a European Parliament delegation that acts as a collective forum for MEPs and representatives from African Caribbean and Pacific countries.
As the co-president of the political affairs committee within the ACP-EU JPA, and in my role as rapporteur on this particular report, I was able to lay out the challenges faced by both southern EU member states and ACP countries as a result of the conflict in Libya.
The death of Muammar Gaddafi in October 2011 put an end to 42 years of dictatorial rule in Libya. However, it left behind a political vacuum, in which civil society and the rights of citizens can only be described as rudimentary. The repercussions of the events in Libya are twofold – whilst radiating towards southern member states of the European Union, they also reverberate within neighbouring ACP countries.
For the Mediterranean member states of the European Union, the most immediate consequence of the Libyan conflict is an exponential increase in illegal immigration. The sudden surge may only be temporary and could well subside when the immediate pressure of the conflict abates. However, this is outweighed by concerns about sustained migration flows in the longer term.
Prior to the upheaval, Libya was frequently used as a hub for migration – be it as a destination itself or as a transit point on their crossover to European shores. Consequently, a large number of migrants originating from other parts of the African continent are currently situated in Libya. Given that Libya’s economy is in dire straits, the main concern is that these migrants might set their sights on Europe when looking for new opportunities beyond Libyan borders. Such a scenario would put permanent pressure on southern European member states, which would face the challenging task of accommodating an unmanageable influx of migrants.
Yet the shockwaves of the conflict in Libya are not only shaking its European neighbours. Several ACP countries in the region have equally been prejudiced by the events.
The upheaval also prompted many ACP migrants, who were residing in Libya, to return to their homelands. This set an end to any remittances they were previously sending to their relatives. Consequently, many families in the region have been deprived of their main source of income. In addition, the countries of origin now face the challenging task of reintegrating the repatriates into their local labour markets.
Worse so, the Libyan conflict has triggered a proliferation of vast quantities of arms in the Sahel-Saharan region. The latter has thus turned into a fertile ground for several small terrorist groups, criminal gangs as well as drug traffickers.
In addition to the proliferation of arms, countries adjacent to Libya have also witnessed a resurgence of Tuareg irredentism. Mali has been particularly hard hit, as various armed groups have occupied an area in the North of the country. Mali’s territorial integrity has been compromised.
These developments jeopardise the stability and security of the entire subregion and have given rise to a somewhat vicious circle: Increasing concerns about security have triggered a collapse of the tourist sector and taken a toll on several development projects in the region. As a result, unemployment has surged amongst young people, making them more likely to fall prey to terrorist or criminal groups.
Against the backdrop of the above-mentioned developments, the report highlights the shared responsibility that the European Union holds when it comes to addressing the challenges ahead. It emphasises the need for the European community to provide assistance to countries like Malta, amongst others, which are experiencing disproportionate migration pressures as a result of the conflict.
The report, however, does not limit its focus to the European Union. It equally calls upon the entire international community to act in solidarity with affected ACP countries in these challenging times. This means, for example, assisting these countries with setting up structures that allow them to reintegrate migrant workers returning from Libya.
Finally, the report does not fail to underline the host of opportunities that have arisen in the aftermath of the Libyan upheavals.
The European Union is currently witnessing a historically unique moment in which it can put its ambitions into practice. Our community has long been dedicated to the promotion of human rights and civil society, as well as security sector reforms in Libya.
The EU should therefore seize this opportunity and make concerted efforts to cement stability, prosperity and political pluralism in the region. At the end of the day, it has a vested interest in doing so – because any achievements in this region also translate into increasing stability in Europe itself.
David Casa is a Nationalist MEP