Al-Shibli calls for addressing the causes of migration, not punishing migrants
LIBYA – Fathi Al-Shibli, head of the Voice of the Libyan People Party, said concerns linked to Iraqi migrants crossing from Libya and Tunisia to Europe were legitimate, but warned against using them to justify restrictions on Iraqis or to hold them responsible for the activities of smuggling networks.
Detention, missing people and the risk of drowning
In comments to Erem News, Al-Shibli said reports on the passage of Iraqi migrants — and the accompanying cases of detention, disappearance and drowning risks — showed the issue had gone beyond individual travel to become a humanitarian and regional security matter requiring a serious response.
Smugglers exploit need and ambition
He said the core problem was not the migrant’s nationality but the circumstances that drive people to leave their country, and the criminal networks that exploit their need and dreams and turn migration into trafficking in people and lives.
Economic, social and security solutions
He stressed that tackling the phenomenon could not rest on security measures alone, but required confronting its economic and social causes, offering real opportunities for Iraqi young people, and strengthening their confidence in the state’s ability to provide a dignified future.
