The situation of Moroccan detainees in Libya is complicated by the slowness of “evacuation” procedures. According to sources in Tripoli, the proceedings and communications on this matter have been “halted” for unknown reasons.
These are 196 Moroccans detained in Libya who are the subject of discussions at the highest level between the authorities of the two Maghreb countries, indicates a source familiar with the matter to MoroccoLatestNews, but “communications about the transfer of detainees have been interrupted without the reasons being given”.
Nevertheless, continues the same source, “there is coordination at the highest level to ensure the return of Moroccans arrested in Libya”, noting that it would be necessary to have the agreement of the Moroccan authorities for a possible evacuation to take place.
“No evacuation of migrants will take place without the approval of the Moroccan government, because it is impossible to transfer the deceased who are in the centers without the agreement of Rabat”, noted a source within the Office of migrants from Benghazi.
According to the same source, discussions have been frozen since 2014 between the two countries because of the fear among the Moroccan authorities of the infiltration of Islamic State fighters in Morocco through this operation.
However, during a visit to Morocco last August, the vice-president of the Libyan Presidential Council, Abdallah Hussein Al-Lafi, spoke of the imminent return of these 195 Moroccans arrested in Libya.
The Libyan official insisted that talks are underway between the two countries on this issue and that a joint consular commission would be held to discuss issues inherent to Libyan communities in Morocco and Moroccans in Libya, saying in passing that all Moroccans concerned are in good health.
The families of Moroccans in Libya often question the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on this subject. Demonstrations are organized in front of the headquarters of the ministry and a letter has been sent to this department in this sense to call for an intervention which would facilitate their return to Morocco.
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