Political Instability in Libya Triggers People-Smuggling to EU – Frontex

The internal Libyan conflict and political instability makes it easy for people-smugglers to run their business without any barriers, Frontex spokeswoman Ewa Moncure told Sputnik.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Over 880 migrants drowned last week while trying to get from Libya to the European Union by crossing the Mediterranean Sea, according to UN. Frontex said that around 13,800 migrants had been rescued in nearly 90 search and rescue operations last week.

"The situation in Libya as it is right now, when smugglers can operate without any obstacles because of the law enforcement, when the country has several governments at the moment and they don’t control the entire area, so as long as the situation in Libya is unstable, I am afraid, people-smugglers will continue doing what they do," Moncure said.

Libya has been in a state of turmoil since 2011, when a civil war broke out in the country and long-standing leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown, and the country was contested by two rival governments — the internationally-recognized Council of Deputies based in Tobruk and the Tripoli-based General National Congress.

On March 31, the long-anticipated UN-backed Government of National Accord in Libya started to perform its duties, with the conflict outcome yet to be addressed.