The United Kingdom has pledged to contribute £1 million, equivalent to about $1.3 million, as part of an agreement aimed at facilitating the return of Libyan nationals to their homeland.
The UK Home Office announced that this funding would contribute to addressing the issue of illegal immigration in Libya, amidst a record influx of migrants heading to Europe from North Africa, as reported by the British news agency PA Media on Friday.
Immigration Minister Michael Tomlinson unveiled the funding package following his visit to the country earlier this week.
The Home Office stated that this financial support would “aid in the protection of migrants in Libya and help prevent journeys to Europe by addressing the root causes of illegal migration and facilitating the voluntary return of migrants to their countries of origin.”
The Home Office added that over 150,000 migrants arrived in Italy by sea last year after crossing the Mediterranean, a record number, with many of them departing from Libya.
Previously, the UK announced new immigration rules significantly limiting migrants’ ability to seek asylum in the UK and aiming to reduce their numbers by hundreds of thousands.
The Home Secretary stated that “strong measures” would be taken to curb sanctioned immigration, which reached a record level of approximately 750,000 individuals in 2022.
He indicated that the new measures would reduce the number of people eligible to move to the UK in the coming years by at least 300,000.
The Minister explained that from spring 2024, migrants applying for asylum would need to earn £38,700 to qualify for a skilled worker visa, up from the current threshold of £26,200.
