The European Union has agreed plans to establish a Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi as part of efforts to curb irregular migration across one of Europe’s busiest sea routes.
EU Ambassador to Libya Nicola Orlando announced the decision on Thursday, saying the procedures to establish the centre under the EU naval mission, Operation IRINI, had been completed with funding from Italy and Malta.
“We finalised the procedures to establish a Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Benghazi under Operation IRINI, with funding from Italy and Malta,” Orlando said in a post on X.
The announcement followed a meeting in Rome involving Operation IRINI Commander Rear Admiral Marco Casapieri, Malta’s Ambassador to Italy Daniel Azzopardi and General Khairy Tamimi, Secretary-General of the Command of the Libyan Arab Armed Forces.
Libya has remained a key transit point for migrants attempting the dangerous Mediterranean crossing to Europe since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that overthrew former leader Muammar Gaddafi. The country remains divided between rival administrations in the east and west.
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The European Union and its member states have long supported and trained the Libyan coastguard to intercept migrant boats. Although the bloc formally recognises only the Tripoli-based government, it has expanded engagement with authorities in eastern Libya following a rise in migrant departures from territories controlled by military commander Khalifa Haftar.
The proposed Benghazi rescue centre has attracted criticism from human rights organisations, which argue that strengthening Libya’s maritime capabilities could result in more migrant boats being intercepted and those on board being returned to Libya, where the United Nations and rights groups have repeatedly documented abuses against migrants and refugees.
EU officials maintain that cooperation with the Libyan authorities is essential to improve maritime safety, combat human smuggling networks and reduce deaths at sea.
