EVERY now and then something happens to remind us that Libyan turmoil has a Mediterranean dimension. Fortunately, what happened last Thursday was not deaths at sea because of shipwreck or sinking of boats carrying migrants. No, it was good news: Some 970 migrants were rescued off the coast of the North African nation. According to Italy's Coast Guard, the 970 were among those attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Europe. Libya is a popular jumping-off point for migrants seeking to reach Europe from North Africa. Smuggling networks are well established there, and the lack of an effective central government makes the job of traffickers easier. Nearly 17,000 migrants and refugees have so far entered Europe by sea in 2017. More than 13,400 people had arrived on Italy's shores so far this year excluding the rescued 970 — an increase of 50 to 70 percent compared to 2016 and 2015. Libya has not known peace or political stability after Muammar Qaddafi was dislodged from power in 2011 in a popular uprising assisted by Western powers. The resulting chaos and economic hardship has forced many Libyans and outsiders who were working in that North African country to seek their fortunes in Europe. But not everyone who wants to migrate reaches his or her destination. Many die or drown on the route. An estimated 366 migrants died at sea during their Mediterranean journey to Europe in the first 53 days of 2017. At least 800 people of different nationalities lost their lives in April 2015 in the deadliest shipwreck in the Mediterranean in modern times. This alerted the European powers to the need to do something to rescue migrants at sea and crack down on human trafficking. They have also to take into account the fact that Europe was becoming less and less hospitable to migrants from Third World countries. So European Union (EU) wants to seal an agreement with Libya under which economic migrants are swiftly deported from the continent. The Mediterranean Sea between Libya and Italy has become the main crossing point for asylum seekers and economic migrants seeking a better life in Europe. Last month EU leaders approved a plan to curb migration from Libya. The plan called for giving $423 million to that country, offering training and equipment to the Libyan Coast Guard, and improving detention centers. EU's attempts to get Libya to effectively blockade its own coastline follows a record year for arrivals in Italy (181,000 in 2016) and a harsh Mediterranean winter, with migrants perishing at sea at a rate of 15 per day over the last three months. But Libya has no central government. The UN-backed government in Tripoli exerts little effective control over much of the country. It is only in control of sections of the country›s vast coastline. The success of any agreement will depend heavily on the cooperation of local authorities along the smuggling routes. There is also the question whether the EU funds should go to one of the rival power centers in Libya. Meanwhile, human rights groups have expressed fears that EU's plans will send children back to squalid detention centers in Libya. Women and children being returned may become vulnerable to abuses including rape. Those forced to stay in Libya may suffer mistreatment. The ideal solution may be to stabilize Libya under a democratic administration. That is not likely to happen in the near future. The next best solution is to create conditions in which refugees can travel to Europe safely. The UNHCR did the right thing in calling on Europe to provide increased regular pathways for admission of refugees and asylum. Nobody denies the need for enhanced investigation and prosecution of the criminal networks of smugglers. Smuggling networks need to be eliminated. But in the absence of sufficient alternatives, Europe may cause more human suffering including deaths at sea and what happened on Thursday may prove an exeption.
