Since the removal of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has been engulfed in a state of turmoil. The attempt to overthrow Gaddafi’s regime did not establish stable political structures. Consequently, Libya has faced more than a decade of significant instability and civil conflict. This prolonged instability has negatively impacted Italy’s interests in Libya and has contributed to regional unrest, spreading instability throughout the Euro-Mediterranean area.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently participated in the Trans-Mediterranean Migration Forum in Tripoli, organised by the UN-backed the Government of National Unity. Representatives from 28 African and European countries have also attended to discuss ways to tackle illegal migration.
Meloni came to power almost two years ago, promising to curb immigration, but arrivals have nearly doubled in 2023. With political instability, conflicts, poverty and global warming affecting much of Africa and the Middle East, the number of people leaving these regions and heading to Europe is increasing.
Last year, around 140,000 migrants arrived in Italy by sea, nearly double the number seen in the previous year. Meloni’s government has been under a lot of pressure to resolve the crisis.
‘Crucial transit point for African migrants’
Italy is a crucial transit point for African migrants to enter Europe. Despite efforts from Italy and Libya since 2017 to combat human trafficking and bolster Libya’s border security, progress has been minimal while the humanitarian crisis deepens.
Historically, Libya has been a key departure location for refugees and migrants, primarily from sub-Saharan African nations, with Italy as their destination. Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has become a central hub for migrants. The ongoing conflict has resulted in an increased number of migrants to Italy.
Rome wants to ensure stability and security on its southern frontiers to stem the tide of refugees coming from Africa via Libya. Meloni’s government has been trying to increase cooperation with North African countries, especially with Libya.
In May, Meloni visited Libya and met with Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah’s government of national unity in Tripoli. She also met with Khalifa Haftar, the military commander who heads the oil-producing nation’s eastern region. In June, the Libyan Coast Guard received two Corrubia naval units from Italy as part of a project to support the integrated management of borders and migration in Libya.
While Italy’s primary concern has been managing the increasing flow of migrants and refugees from Libya, its strategic interests encompass significant economic and security dimensions.
Pipeline between Rome and Tripoli
Since the 1950s, Rome and Tripoli have maintained strong economic ties, even during the international embargo against Libya in the 1980s and 1990s and, although seriously affected, survived the toppling of Gaddafi and the uncertainty following in the country.
Energy, bilateral trade and migration management have played crucial roles in shaping the complex relationship between the two countries. One of Italy’s main focuses in Libya is the oil industry, with ENI being a prominent Italian company that has been working in the country since 1959. Italy does not have internal energy sources and relies completely on foreign suppliers.
Libya has been a significant producer of crude oil since the 1960s and has certain advantages as an oil producer, and its reserves remain significant: with over 48 billion barrels, or just under 3% of the world’s total, the deposit is Africa’s largest.
Before the Arab Spring in 2010, Libya played a significant role in Italy’s energy supply as the country’s largest oil and third-largest gas supplier. Each year, approximately 12.3 billion cubic metres of natural gas, primarily used for electricity generation, were transported to Italy through the Greenstream underwater pipeline constructed by ENI.
The pipeline connects Libya directly to Italy and exported gas from the Mellitah Oil and Gas compound near Sabratha to Sicily, where it was then distributed through the national network.
Italy has been closely monitoring the developments in Libya, considering it a key source of both opportunities and challenges that directly impact its foreign policy and domestic politics. Italy thus has two main goals: to manage migration flows from Libya, and to safeguard ENI’s assets, secure its energy contracts, and preserve and widen its economic interests.
This article originally appeared in the opinion section of the Africa Report.