Ottoman invasion on Italy’s borders: Fears of new waves of refugees and extremists

Nahla Abdel Moneim

The Italian position towards the Libyan file is witnessing great development, perhaps since the escalating tensions in the region, which negatively affects the security of southern European Union countries, threaten Italy with a new wave of refugees and extremists.

Last Italian-Libyan rapprochement

Libyan Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh met on Tuesday, July 14 with his Italian counterpart, Roberto Fico, in Rome to discuss the recent developments of the Libyan issue and to study peaceful ways to solve the crisis and obtain peace.

Saleh’s media advisor, Abdul Hamid al-Safi, pointed out that the Cairo Declaration initiative launched by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in June was at the top of the files discussed by the two parties as a basic pillar for establishing peace in the region, stopping foreign interference, and ensuring the Libyan people alone benefit from the country’s economic capabilities.

Saleh discussed with his Italian counterpart the possibility of building bridges of political and strategic cooperation between parliamentarians during the next stage. On the sidelines of the visit, Saleh also met with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Mayo to discuss developments in Libya.

In a related context, Libyan Foreign Minister Abdul-Hadi al-Hawaij announced official discussions with the Italian Foreign Ministry to reopen its consulate in Benghazi, in what is considered a major development in the context of Libyan-Italian relations during recent times.

Italian transformation

Some in Italy had pushed a stance favoring Fayez al-Sarraj’s Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, even after European intervention to unify the continent’s position towards the Libyan file and to attract Rome to a position that guarantees the rights of EU states against the provocations and ambitions of the Turkish regime.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tried to win over Rome again in order to split the European consensus, which made some politicians classify the visit Di Mayo and his meeting with the GNA prime minister as a return to fluctuating European visions on the issue that increases the chances of postponing a settlement.

However, the visit witnessed assurances from the Italian side of its keenness to find a political solution to the issue that prevents foreign interference and ensures the Libyan people benefit from oil wealth without it being stolen by any international party, as well as putting an end to the spread of terrorist and mercenary militias in the country. This shows that Rome is not directly involved in supporting Sarraj. But this will certainly benefit its interests, which may inevitably conflict with the presence of terrorist militias on its maritime borders, which portend massive chaos and a wave of refugees and displaced persons under the weight of military and ideological conflicts.

Illegal immigration

The issue of illegal immigration has become an urgent priority for Rome, along with the formation of pressure groups that warn against gangs of exploitation and human trafficking that may cooperate with mafias, which indicates the escalation of security and societal conditions in Rome.

On July 14, Muhajir News revealed the arrest of migrants from Bangladesh by the Italian authorities after accusing them and four other migrants of supervising torture and detention operations that took place inside one of the centers designated for illegal immigration in Libya. The police charged them with human trafficking, torture and kidnapping.

Resolving Europe’s position against Erdogan

Some studies talk about the need for Rome to institute a specific and clear vision towards Libya in order for state politicians to consider it as a reliable ally. According to a research paper published by the Italian Institute for International Political Studies, Erdogan’s adventure in Tripoli was aimed first at seizing oil and gas in light of the economic crisis hitting Turkey, especially after the spread of the corona pandemic.

Moreover, the relations between Erdogan and Sarraj opened the political field for the signing of the maritime border demarcation agreement, which threatens the interests of other countries in gas economics as well as military cooperation, all of which will serve as a pillar for the launch of the political Islamism project in Europe.