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Libya - European Union cooperation on migration management
The Libya - European Union cooperation on migration management is a series of formal agreements and joint policies between the European Union and Libya. These policies are part of the Migration and asylum policy of the European Union as well as part of the ‘external dimension’ of EU cooperation in justice and home affairs. This cooperation is heavily based on efforts of the Externalization (migration) of asylum and migration procedures, "a policy in which the EU seems to be trying to partially export the management of its borders and transfer its responsibilities on asylum to third countries". EU Member states therefore progressively engage with the Libyan government to combat illegal migration, strengthen border controls, prevent migrant smuggling, or redirect migrants who have crossed the sea into the EU illegally.

Background
From 1991 onwards, the European Commission was calling for the integration of migration issues into the EU’s external policy which resulted from the mismanagement of migration at domestic borders and the rise in refugee flows during this period. The rising numbers of arrivals at EU borders from Libya since 2000 created an eagerness within the EU member states EU to prevent arrivals from especially North-African transit countries, "leading to the initiation of cooperation between the EU and Libya on migration".

In October 2004 the Council lifted the 1986 EU arms embargo on Libya and with that the initiation of a new type of 'a policy of engagement' with Libya was decided on. In 2005 the Council announced the initiation of 'an ad hoc dialogue' and cooperation with Libya on migration issues, which according to the council "was guided by respect for human rights and a need to prevent loss of life at sea". Following from this a Joint EU-Libya Action Plan on Migration and a wider scope of cooperation measures was drafted.

The Case of Hirsi Jamaa and Others v. Italy constitutes a turning point in the EU's approach to boarder management, since the Hirsi ruling ultimately made it difficult for the EU to continue its practices of "extraterritorial push-back operations". Prior to the 2012 Hirsi ruling, the EU was engaging in these operations in the Central Mediterranean, which were based on the assumption that established human rights standards were not applicable beyond its own territories, allowing the EU to bypass legal asylum procedures. This situation changed with the watershed ruling of the European Court of Human Rights, "declaring that EU member states also had to observe their obligations under the ECHR even if they were conducting extra territorial border operations". This lead to member states of the EU and especially Italy to enhance the establishment of legal agreements with third countries, enabling them to broaden their scope of maneuvering when it comes to actions being taken in the management of irregular migration within the legal framework..

2008 Treaty of Friendship, Partnership and Cooperation
"In 2008 the two countries concluded a new Treaty on Friendship, Partnership and Cooperation.Notably, Article 19 of this new Treaty has been devoted to improving“cooperation in the fight against terrorism, organized crime, drug trafficking and illegal immigration”. Furthermore through this agreement the two States decided to develop a system to control the Libyan borders, to be implemented by Italian companies. The cost of this initiative was supposed to be covered, according toArticle 19, half by the Italian Government and half by the EU. In the last paragraph of this provision, the Parties expressed their willingness to cooperate with bilateral and multilateral initiatives aimed at preventing irregular migration from countries of origin, thus placing the emphasis on preventing the flow of migrants through a reinforced border control capacity and cooperation with countries from which migrants start their journey"

Malta Declaration
The Malta Declaration (European Union) is reiteration of the 2008 Treaty of Friendship, Partnership and Cooperation made between Libya and Italy.

Operation Triton
"To this end in 2015 the EU launched FRONTEX Joint Operation Triton, a naval operation in the waters between Italy and Libya, with the aim ofsupporting Italy with border control, surveillance and search and rescue activities. According to EUofficial sources, this operation has helped“to save more than 400,000 people; disabled 303 vessels used by criminal networks and transferred 89 suspected smugglers and traffickers to Italian authorities”(FRONTEX, 2016)."

Operation Sophia
" on 22 June2015 the EU launched the Operation Sophia. mandate   aimed at identifying and monitoring migration net-works, at boarding, searching and seizure on the high seas vessels suspected of being used and finally, provided that there is a relevant UN Security Council Resolution or the consent of Libya, taking all necessary measures against vessels suspected of being used for smuggling of migrants and human trafficking, in the territory of Libya (European Union, 2015)"

"On 20 June 2016, the European Council added two additional tasks to the mandate of the Operation: to train Libyan Coastguards and Navy, in order to enhance their capability to disrupt smuggling and trafficking networks in Libya, and to perform search and rescue activities to save lives."

The European Union Border Assistance mission in Libya
“The European Union Border Assistance mission in Libya '' which was a civilian mission introduced in 2013 with the aim to provide support for Libyan authorities in improving and developing border security (8). The mission had to be withdrawn a year later due to a further escalation of the security situation (7).

European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa
Introduced in the Valetta summit 2015

Support to Integrated border and migration management in Libya
The Libyan Coast Guard is funded by the European Union emergency trust fund for Africa and the "support to integrated border and migration management in Libya" programme. Connected to Frontex

Outsourcing the asylum procedures
This cooperation has predominantly comprised two elements: to secure the borders of the EU to prevent entry; and to return so-called illegal migrants to their countries of origin, or at least to the country of transit (European Parliament 2006).

Human rights violations
2008 Treaty of Friendship, Partnership and Cooperation made between Libya and Italy which includes “Italy’s financial support to Libya for migration containment – which led (…) to Italy financing several immigration detention centres in Libya”3

The cooperation with Libya has been a controversial one and many scholars argue that the outsourcing of the migration management has led to the deterioration of safety conditions

The lack of positive action to address human rights issues leads to scepticism over the extent to which the EU has accounted for the finding of the EC technical mission to Libya that, 'in practice, international protection of refugees is not assured' (European Commission 2005a: 13). It also makes the assurances, given by the Council in November 2004, that support and cooperation with transit countries on migration will be tied to a demonstration of the 'genuine commitment to fulfill their obligations under the Geneva Convention on Refugees' appear hollow.

Libyan Coat guard