Investigation: Europe is being blackmailed and is paying a cruel Libyan tyrant to prevent a "massive influx of migrants"
The militias of General Khalifa Haftar, who controls eastern Libya, have been accused for years of abuse and extortion of ransom from migrants. Despite this, the European Union intends to fund and train the general's forces to stop the flow of refugees. A "Der Spiegel" investigation reveals that Brussels is acting out of "fear of retaliation".
Migration is one of the most pressing issues on the European Union's agenda. The failure to curb migration flows has bolstered far-right parties across the continent, and to counter this, Brussels appears willing to go to extreme lengths. EU countries have already effectively become hostages to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, paying a high economic and political price to prevent refugees from reaching Greek islands, and have even engaged with the Taliban government in Afghanistan to facilitate deportations.
However, according to an investigation published by the German newspaper "Der Spiegel", the EU has reached a new level of hypocrisy by actively cooperating with the regime of General Khalifa Haftar, who has controlled eastern Libya for over a decade. European entities are indirectly providing training to members of the "Tariq bin Ziyad" (TBZ) militia, controlled by Haftar's son, Saddam. This group has been accused for years of torture, abuse, and murder. The investigation claims that Haftar uses migrants as a bargaining chip, effectively "blackmailing" Europe into funding his forces under the guise of border security.
Political Division and the Migration Business
Libya has been deeply divided since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi. Since 2014, the country has been split between the UN-recognized government in Tripoli and the eastern administration in Benghazi, led by General Haftar. While refugee flows from eastern Libya were minimal until 2024, the number of arrivals in Crete surged to 20,000 last year.
Although the EU does not officially recognize Haftar's government, internal documents obtained by "Der Spiegel" reveal plans to fund, arm, and train Haftar's men, as well as install radar stations in Benghazi. Wolfram Lacher of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) notes that for the Haftar family, migration is a profitable business model: they profit from both facilitating departures and detaining migrants in camps, where victims are forced to pay ransoms for their freedom.
"Strategic Myopia" in Brussels
Brussels is well aware of Haftar's game but sees no alternative. EU Ambassador to Libya Nicola Orlando has privately acknowledged that the regime uses migrants as a "means to an end." As part of the reconfigured IRINI naval operation, the EU has begun training Libyan "coast guard" personnel in Italy and Greece. However, investigations reveal that some of these trainees are active members of the notorious TBZ militia.
While the Greek Foreign Ministry stated that the training includes instruction on international law, experts describe the EU's attempt to distinguish between the coast guard and the militias as "strategic myopia." Trainees have openly boasted of their TBZ membership on social media, and when questioned, they have reacted with hostility. Ultimately, it appears Europe is prioritizing the avoidance of the migrant crisis over moral considerations.
