Britain gives Libya more than £9m to fight terrorism and people trafficking

Britain is to give Libya more than £9m to help
stabilise the country and tackle the threat of
terrorism and people trafficking, the Foreign
Secretary has announced.
Boris Johnson unveiled the aid package during a visit
to the north African country following talks with
Prime Minister Fayez al Serraj.
Britain has also offered to increase its engagement
with the country's law enforcement authorities,
including the coast guard, which already receives
Royal Navy training on dealing with migrants who try
to cross the Mediterranean in an attempt to get to
Europe.
Libya will also be given £4m to support the removal
of mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs),
particularly in the city of Sirte, a former stronghold of
Islamic State.
Mr Johnson meets Fayez al Serraj, PM of the
Libyan Government of National Accord
The country has been riven by unrest since Muammar
Gaddafi was ousted in 2011, and this is Mr Johnson's
second visit in less than six months.
Speaking in Tripoli, he said: "Libya is the front line for
many challenges which left unchecked can pose
problems for us in the UK - particularly illegal
migration and the threat from terrorism.
"That's why it is so important that we work with the
Libyan government and our partners to help bring
stability to Libya, stopping it from becoming a fertile
ground for terrorists, gunrunners and people
traffickers in close proximity to Europe.
"This means supporting the new UN representative
and the political process, but it also means practical
efforts too, including the new kit we are providing to
make Sirte safer for Libyans and the work we are
doing to ensure that the Libyan coastguard can
secure their own borders, reducing the number of
illegal migrants heading for Europe."
"Libya is the front line for many challenges
which left unchecked can pose problems for us
in the UK." @BorisJohnson visits Tripoli
7:15 PM - Aug 23, 2017
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Foreign Office
@foreignoffice
Mr Johnson discussed with the Libyan PM what more
the UK can do to support his Government of National
Accord and the peace and stabilisation process being
led by the UN.
The support outlined by the Foreign Secretary
includes:
:: £3m to remove IEDs in Sirte and £1m to fund
demining training across Libya
:: £1m to help rebuild critical infrastructure and
restore basic public services
:: £2.75m to support women's participation in
peacemaking and rebuilding Libya
:: £1.29m for food, essential hygiene items and
urgent healthcare needs for displaced people.
Ahead of Mr Johnson's visit, Mr al Serraj warned that
would-be terrorists could be entering Europe among
the tens of thousands of migrants crossing the
Mediterranean.
Thousands of migrants have tried to cross the
Mediterranean from Libya
He told The Times: "When migrants reach Europe,
they will move freely. If, God forbid, there are
terrorist elements among the migrants, a result of
any incident will affect all of the EU."
Fionna Smyth, Oxfam's head of humanitarian
campaigns, was critical of the Foreign Secretary's
rhetoric.
She said: "It is disturbing that Boris Johnson is
talking about preventing people who are fleeing
violence and destitution at home from leaving Libya.
"Research we conducted with people who fled
through Libya found that all but one of the women
questioned had suffered sexual exploitation, and
three quarters of people had witnessed murder or
torture.
Libya has been in turmoil since the 2011
overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi
"Aid for people travelling through Libya is welcome,
but Britain should be helping them to find safety, not
trapping them in a country where they face violence
and abuse."
Before going to Libya, the Foreign Secretary headed
to Tunisia to hold talks with UN special
representative Ghassan Salame, whose recent
appointment has been hailed by Britain as a possible
means of breaking the political deadlock in Libya.
Mr Johnson also met Tunisia's tourism minister to
discuss ways to strengthen economic and security
ties, following the Foreign Office lifting advice
against travel to the country.
The restrictions were enforced in the wake of the
2015 terror attack in Sousse that left 38 people dead,
the majority of them Britons.

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