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Brooke F Adams  09/19/2006 08:43:51 AM  From  DB/Inbox:  Brooke F Adams

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C O N F I D E N T I A L        TRIPOLI 00506

SIPDIS
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    INFO:   PA ORA IPS ECON DCM CONS AMB AID

DISSEMINATION: HUM
CHARGE: PROG

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FM AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1218
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0072
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 1381

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TRIPOLI 000506 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG, PRM, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  8/29/2016 
TAGS: PHUM PREL PREF LY
SUBJECT: LIBYA WORKS TO FIND BALANCE ON LABOR AND MIGRATION ISSUES 
 
REF: A) 05 TRIPOLI 332  B) TRIPOLI 373 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Gregory L. Berry, Chief of Mission, Executive , 
Department of State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY. The GOL is beginning to work with international 
partners such as UNHCR and IOM on facing their migration 
challenges, but there is still ample room for strengthening 
cooperation. A staggering 750,000 to one million migrant workers 
currently live within Libya's borders in addition to its local 
population of 5.5 million. Migrant workers from Africa and Egypt 
contribute to the economy and fill jobs that traditionally 
Libyans have not been willing to perform, especially menial and 
semi-skilled labor. Libya is trying to maintain a balance in 
stemming the tide of illegal migration from Africa, while still 
maintain its leading role in the continent. An upcoming UN 
conference on migration might be a platform to engage with the 
international community on combating illegal migration.  While 
trying to secure its land borders, it also must grapple with the 
growing issue of foreign nationals  using its coastline as a 
launching point for the dangerous boat journey to Europe. The 
Secretary of Labor, while recognizing the need for foreign labor 
 
SIPDIS 
sources, is under pressure to bring down the high unemployment 
rate for the country's young population. Clearly, the GOL is 
willing to work with international partners to a certain degree 
on its migrant worker challenges, but there is no clear 
timetable for doing so. END SUMMARY. 
 
MIGRATION BY THE NUMBERS 
------------------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU) International organizations estimate there are 750,000 
to one million migrants within Libyan borders, working mainly in 
the construction, oil, hotel and restaurant industries. In a 
country with a local population of only 5.5 million, their 
presence is highly apparent. Of these migrant workers, UNHCR 
believes that approximately 5% fall within their mandate, 
especially those from the Horn of Africa region. While migrants 
from most Arab countries can enter without a visa and stay for a 
period of up to six months, Africans have a difficult time 
obtaining visitor visas and many enter illegally through the 
almost 4500 km of desert land borders that Libya shares with its 
neighbors. Migrant workers without the proper documentation are 
subject to frequent deportations. According to a GOL contact at 
the General Peoples Committee for Foreign Liaison and 
International Cooperation (Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
equivalent), 50,000 illegal migrants were identified by the 
local law enforcement during just one month this summer, many of 
whom were sent to local detention centers and deported. 
 
LOCAL UNHCR AND IOM OFFICES SAY COOPERATION STALLED, BUT 
POTENTIAL EXISTS 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
-------------- 
 
¶3. (C) The Chief of Mission at UNHCR in Tripoli, Mohamed Hantosh 
Alwash characterized his office's relationship with the GOL as 
"stalled", primarily on the issue of finalizing an official MOU 
with the government (ref A).  In addition, the GOL still does 
not officially recognize the existence of refugees within their 
borders. "Migrant workers are seen as African brothers or Arab 
brothers, never people in need of help" says Alwash. Still, 
there are some encouraging signs of cooperation. Last month, the 
World Islamic Call Society, an adjunct organization funded by 
GOL to promote moderate Islamic thought, hosted World Refugee 
Day in conjunction with UNHCR. Alwash calls this a "step in the 
right direction" and hopes to follow up with a migration and 
asylum conference this November or December, with the blessing 
of the GOL.  UNHCR is given informal access to Libyan detention 
centers to screen for refugees, and in some instances, migrants 
identified as refugees are given over to UNHCR custody.  Alwash 
also is pleased with the recent formation a committee at the 
General People's Committee for Justice to draft a law on asylum. 
 
¶4. (C) Laurence Hart, Chief of Mission at the International 
Organization For Migration, granted full status in August, 2005, 
listed the organization's priorities in Libya as "capacity 
building, assistance to migrants, research and border 
management." IOM hopes in the near future to conduct field 
research to get a better sense for migration patterns and 
numbers. Clearly, the GOL has to work with them to achieve this 
goal, but they too have seen positive developments recently, 
especially in the creation of an inter-ministerial committee on 
migration. Hart says that this committee may be able to give 
some consistency to immigration laws, which he characterizes as 
"vague and without clear implementation." 
 
AFRICAN MIGRANTS IN LIBYA: A BIT LESS THAN WELCOME 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶5. (C) When strolling through crowded Abu Saleem market, located 
in Tripoli's suburbs, one steps out of the Middle East enters 
the heart of an African city--and a diverse one at that. 
Ethiopian run hair salons sit adjacent to Camerooni, Malian, and 
Sudanese restaurants in this basic market. The African community 
here is poor, but well established. Ten years ago, as part of an 
overall strategy to achieve of pan-African unity, Leader Moammar 
Qadhafi implemented an 'open door policy' for Africans 
interested in seeking jobs in Libya. More African migrants came 
than expected, however, and now most are required to obtain 
visitor visas to enter the country, a difficult task. Many 
Africans living in Libya entered illegally across a land border. 
The African community is subject to suspicion from locals. 
African migrants are often blamed for increasing crime in 
metropolitan areas. Five years ago, riots broke out in the 
African community when a Libyan family charged an African 
migrant with rape and retaliated against the man. The GOL deals 
with the community cautiously. 
 
¶6.  (C) While the Leader still sees himself as the father of the 
continent, the government has clearly reconsidered its open door 
policy and is making attempts to 'regularize' illegal migrants. 
Because African migrants are more easily recognizable compared 
to Arab migrants, they are subject to more frequent 
deportations. The GOL fully recognizes that, even if they wanted 
to, they do not have the means to deport all illegal migrants. 
"It is too expensive to deport all of them, to feed them and 
keep them in centers" said Ibrahim Dabbashi, a representative 
from the General People's Committee (GPC) for Foreign Liaison 
and International Cooperation (MFA equivalent) office of 
International Organizations. In addition to some sporadic 
deportations, the GOL's long-term strategy to stem the tide of 
African migrants is tied in with its pan-African ideology. 
According to Dabbashi, the GOL hopes to "stop the reason that 
people want to leave their countries by developing African 
nations from within" using various infrastructure and investment 
projects (ref B). If they receive U.S. visas in time to travel, 
the GOL hopes to send 25 representatives to the upcoming UN High 
Level Dialogue on Migration, and is looking to use the 
conference as a platform to engage with the international 
community on problem of illegal migrants. According to Dabbashi, 
it is difficult for the GOL to engage regionally with Africa on 
the issue of illegal migration because of a "conflict of 
interest"--Libya is a supplier of jobs that do to a certain 
degree help support African economies. 
 
EGYPTIANS AND NORTH AFRICANS: ARAB BROTHERS HAVE MORE LEEWAY 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
7.(C) Egyptians, Tunisians, and Moroccans constitute a large 
percentage of migrant labor force in Libya, especially in the 
hotel and restaurant industries. Unlike African migrant 
laborers, they can enter legally without a visa and stay for up 
to 6 months. Many of them are able to find work within that 
period, but often work without an official contract. The 
Egyptian consul in Tripoli spends a lot of his time negotiating 
disputes between Libyan employers and Egyptian workers. 
He is frequently summoned to Rasheed Street, located near the 
Corinthia Hotel where the U.S. Embassy is working out of 
temporary space, when Libyan police arrest Egyptians who are 
perceived to be involved in the smuggling trade, which 
notoriously operates out of the low end hotels in the area.  The 
GOL is making gestures to regularize the status of their "Arab 
brothers" as well. On July 18, the GPC for Manpower, Training, 
and Employment announced a law forbidding the hiring or 
employing any foreign worker without a contract between both 
parties. The law also called for the extradition of non-national 
manpower that has not been regularized. It is unclear exactly 
what steps are being taken to enforce this new regulation. 
According to the Egyptian consul, even those Egyptians who are 
deported for working illegally can easily reenter Libya along 
the 1100 km desert border that exists between the two nations, 
generally aided by the Awlad Ali tribe, notorious smugglers of 
people, weapons, and drugs. 
 
DESTINATION: EUROPE 
------------------- 
 
8.(C) While some migrants enter the country merely seeking to 
earn a living in Libya, others use it as base to get to far more 
attractive destinations in Europe. The 2000 km stretch of Libyan 
coastline is an ideal launching point for human smugglers, and 
the western cities of Zuwara and Misrauta are the most notorious 
points for embarkation. In July of this year, IOM statistics 
show that 3000 migrants landed in Lampedusa, a small island off 
the coast of Italy, from Libya. A majority of those landing are 
from Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt, with the remainder from 
western and central African countries. According to the Italian 
Consul, Italian authorities detained 14,000 migrants from Libya 
since January, 2006, representing just a fraction of those who 
have made the journey. International and local sources say 
smugglers charge between 1500 to 2500 USD for the dangerous 
trip, and those willing to pay the price are often carried in 
crowded boats containing upwards of 100 passengers and an 
uncertain future if they make it to Europe. 
 
9.(C) The GOL has a large stake in breaking up smuggling rings 
and stemming the tide of illegal migration to Europe. Besides 
the negative PR aspect when would be migrants perish at sea, 
often reported in the international press, the GOL also has to 
expend a lot of resources to identify, shelter, and deport 
migrants caught trying to get to Europe. EU member nations, 
especially Italy, are working with Libya by providing additional 
border patrol equipment and constructing shelters for deportees. 
 Endemic challenges exist, however. According to UNHCR, human 
smugglers can easily bribe local border police. The GOL is still 
defining just how much cooperation it is willing to have with 
the EU on border patrol. This week, the Libyan Ambassador in 
Malta announced the GOL's rejection of the idea of a joint naval 
patrol with Italy and Malta because it is "against international 
law", saying that the government prefers financial and technical 
aid to Libya and assistance with a long-term solution to the 
eradication of poverty in Africa. 
 
EMPLOYMENT CRUNCH 
----------------- 
 
¶10. (C) For years, migrant workers have filled jobs that Libyans 
refused to perform. While the mentality of Libyans is changing a 
bit on this front, there is clearly still a need for migrant 
laborers to fill menial and semi-skilled jobs. At the same time, 
the GOL is struggling to balance its need for migrant workers 
with a mandate  from Secretary of the General People's Committee 
for Manpower, Training, and Employment, to drastically reduce 
unemployment. Official figures pin unemployment at 13% out of 
local population of 5.5 million, almost half of whom are under 
20 years old. The strategy to grapple with the challenge is a 
mixed bag, ranging from maintaining a bloated bureaucracy, 
providing  small loans to private citizens to open private 
businesses, as well as assorted attempts at job creation. There 
is also a large focus on ensuring that newly opened foreign 
businesses remain partially "Libyanized." Foreign companies and 
embassies operating in Libya must comply with government quotas 
to employee local workers. The government oftentimes will not 
issue residency visas to third country nationals looking to work 
at foreign companies. This poses a challenge to international 
institutions must draw from a fairly limited pool of English 
speaking Libyans and would often prefer to hire third country 
nationals who possess essential skills. 
 
¶11. (C) According to the local IOM representative, the GOL must 
define exactly what needs exist in the labor market and set up 
agreements with source countries to recruit people with those 
skills.  Post is aware of only one such pending agreement. 
According to the Filipino consul, during President Arroyo's 
visit last month to Libya, the two nations began negotiating 
long term contracts for Filipino nurses to fill staffing gaps in 
hospitals and train local staff on proper nursing practices. 
 
HUMAN TRAFFICKING-POTENTIAL FOR COOPERATION WITH INTERNATIONAL 
ORGANIZATIONS 
------------------------------------------- 
 
12.(C) In an encouraging sign of cooperation with the 
international community, the GOL recently approached IOM 
officials in country and asked for assistance on what they see 
as a growing problem of international human trafficking. 
According to the IOM representative in country, the GOL wants 
assistance in dealing with the problem of Nigerian women who are 
trafficked for sex into Tripoli. While prostitution is not 
immediately apparent in this conservative country, clearly the 
government has detected, perhaps through raids in migrant 
neighborhoods,  women who presumably brought here to service the 
almost all male migratory work force in the city.  When Post has 
asked Libyan officials if there are opportunities for bilateral 
cooperation on trafficking issues, they have unanimously said 
that Libya would only work through international organizations. 
 
13.(C) COMMENT. The GOL seems to be making serious efforts to 
control their border security as best as possible. Like the US, 
they face the challenge of a long and porous border, coupled 
with a true need in the economy for cheap migrant labor, 
especially in the construction industry. They have indicated a 
willingness to work with the international community on their 
migrant labor challenges. But, Qadhafi's ideology of pan-African 
unity will clearly influence how they address this issue. Libya 
will continue to shy away from projects that bring "outsiders to 
Libya" or are perceived to infringe on Libyan sovereignty, for 
example, the proposed joint Libyan-Maltese naval patrols to 
interdict illegal migrants.  There are some promising signs that 
they are willing to engage on migration issues, but as in most 
subjects, it will be on their own, slow and convoluted, 
timeline. END COMMENT. 
GOLDRICH