The European Union has pledged an additional 25 million euros in funding for migration cooperation in eastern Libya, news agency Reuters reported on Tuesday (October 13).

Citing a letter from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to EU leaders, Reuters reported that the additional funding is meant to support border management, search-and-rescue and anti-smuggling activities in eastern Libya.

Since last year, ‌⁠migrant departures from areas in eastern Libya have increased, with many of the departures originating from there.

In July, the European Union announced the establishment of a "Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC)" in Benghazi, eastern Libya supported by funding from Italy and Malta.

The new center, whose establishment has been under discussion since 2017, is meant to coordinate the rescue and interception of migrant boats in eastern Libya whose passengers are thought to be trying to reach Italy or Greece.

The expanded agreements with Libya signal widening cooperation with authorities in eastern Libya, which is controlled by General Khalifa Haftar's forces, and not officially recognized by the EU. Only the western part of the country is officially recognized.

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Cooperation with Libya

EU countries have a long history of cooperation, funding and support with Libya, particularly in the area of migration controls.

The European Commission’s Libya country page outlines financial support for Libya through the Neighborhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI-GE). Between 2021 and 2024, the EU adopted bilateral and regional programs in the area of migration under NDICI worth around 220 million euros.

Over two thirds of the funding is dedicated to protection, voluntary humanitarian returns and evacuation. This comes on top of the 465 million euros allocated to Libya between 2015 and 2021 under the framework of the Emergency Trust Fund for Africa.

"The EU is making every effort to support the Libyan authorities in setting up a comprehensive and rights-based migration governance and management system," the EU website reads.

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Libya, split into east and west territories

Following a 2011 NATO-backed overthrow of longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi, Libya saw a collapse of centralized state institutions. The power void was filled by regional, tribal, and militia rivalries. Libya has divided into the Tripoli-based government in the west which is formally recognized by the EU and most Western states and the east under the military rule of Haftar.

With its strategic position as a migrant jumping off point for irregular crossings into Europe, the EU has entered into treaties to fund the training of the Libyan Coast Guard to prevent boats departing. In practice, this means that the coast guard also intercepts ships and takes migrants on them back to Libya.

Human rights organizations and humanitarian sea rescue groups repeatedly report instances of excessive force and intimidation from the Libyan Coast Guard and have called on the EU to suspend its partnership with the country.

In a joint statement published July 17, 2026, 31 organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, opposed deeper EU migration cooperation with both eastern and western authorities, citing detention, torture, sexual violence and forced labor.

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