The Italian Embassy in Tripoli has launched a call for tenders with a tweet, offering NGOs 2 million euros for projects aimed at improving living conditions in three migrant centers in Libya. The message highlights "Italy's effort to work with Libya to improve conditions in migrant centers."

The tweet refers to a call for tenders by the Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development (AICS). There is a November 29 deadline to implement the "emergency initiative to facilitate populations in migrant and refugee centers in Tarik al Sika, Tarik al Matar and Tajura in Libya."

Controlling the flow

The call for tenders was approved in October as part of the Italian strategy to stem the flow of migrants with respect for human rights and personal dignity. "The most accurate estimates speak of 34-35 migrant and refugee centers in the country, of which seven or eight are inactive," said the AICS document.

"The 29 active centers are formally under the control of the Directorate for Combatting Illegal Migration (DCIM), which is divided in parallel organizations in the country's east and west." The AICS document said the DCIM in Tripoli "seems to have only nominal control over many of the centers. Some are managed by local militias and the capacity for effective DCIM surveillance in many cases is limited."

Two Italian initiatives for Libyan stabilization

The call for tenders said that in terms of programs for "stabilization" of Libya, AICS supports two initiatives, through two contributions to the UN Development Programme (UNDP), for an overall total of three million euros ($3.54 million).

The UNDP Stabilization Facility for Libya (SFL), which received 2 million euros, was conceived "in order to respond to the immediate stabilization demands in Libya," the AICS document said. The objective is being pursued "by proposing an agile financing-operational tool in the immediate-medium term, and also aimed at strengthening the legitimacy of the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA)."

"The second initiative, 'Support to Transitional Justice and Reconciliation at the National and Local Levels,' in which Italy contributes one million euros, intends to offer a reconciliation and dialogue tool to communities in conflict, including the 'Misrata-Tawergha,'" the document said. The initiative also aims to "provide psychological support to families involved in the conflict resulting from the events of the 2011 Revolution, and to deliver training activities."