Luigi Maria Vignali

The DG Italian Citizens Abroad and Migration Policies (DG Italiani all’Estero e Politiche Migratorie), of which Vignali was the director, was involved for the management and allocation of funds made available via the Fondo Africa, whose 2.5 million were spent for border management projects in Libya. In the Decree “Fondo per l’Africa”, signed on 1 February 2017 by the Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano, it is stated that the DG Italian Citizens Abroad and Migration Policies is responsible for the management of the fund. On 28 August 2017, Luigi Maria Vignali signed the annex Decree 4110/47 for an intervention named “technical support by the Italian Ministry of Interior to the competent Libyan authorities to improve border and migration management, including combating migrants smuggling and search and rescue activities”. Via this decree, 2,5 million euros were allocated to the Department of Public Security of the Italian Ministry of Interior and were spent entirely on supporting the operational capacities of the Libyan authorities, more precisely on: Restoring four patrol vessels of the LYCG; Purchasing spare parts for the vessels; Towing one of the vessels from Tripoli to the Bizerte port in Tunisia; Training 33 members of the LYCG crew; Insurance and certificates. It is reasonable to assume that Luigi Maria Vignali, as the General Director at the DG Italian Citizens Abroad and Migration Policies, was aware that the fund would have been used for border management activities and this action could have hampered the stabilisation of Libya. As highlighted by ASGI, the Fondo Africa was intended to “promote dialogue and cooperation with key African partners on migration”. The  objectives identified in the Decree 4110/47 appear then in contrast with the initial objectives of the Fondo Africa. [Italy; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Fondo Africa]