Paolo Gentiloni

The Italian Prime Minister, Paolo Gentiloni, said that Operation Sophia personnel were able to identify 130 human traffickers in Libya. Gentiloni said in a statement quoted by the Italian newspaper La Republica on Sunday that Operation Sofia has saved approximately six hundred immigrant boats. He stressed that Italy has achieved exceptional results against “slavery” and guaranteed the humanitarian conditions of those who were in Libya, expressing his pride that his country is “the most generous in supporting immigrants” (See Reviewed Suspects List). The Italian Prime Minister, Paolo Gentiloni, said that Operation Sofia personnel were able to identify 130 human traffickers in Libya. Gentiloni said in a statement quoted by the Italian newspaper La Republica on Sunday that Operation Sofia has saved approximately six hundred immigrant boats. He stressed that Italy has achieved exceptional results against “slavery” and guaranteed the humanitarian conditions of those who were in Libya, expressing his pride that his country is “the most generous in supporting immigrants” (See Reviewed Suspects List).

Paolo Gentiloni has been Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation from February 2014 to December 2016. The role of Ministry was crucial for the design and implementation of so-called “humanitarian interventions,” including the allocation of funds to institutions that have been repeatedly reported as participating in criminal behaviour and not respecting the basic human rights of the exiled population stranded in Libya. The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation was reportedly responsible for advancing the idea that development programs could curb the migration flow. This approach was clearly identified in the Programme of the Italian Presidency at the European Council in 2014, which laid out Italy’s goal to “[…] advance discussions on mainstreaming migration into development policies and interventions”. (See Italy, “Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation”).

The NGO Code of Conduct and the first administrative seizing of NGO vessels started under his mandate.

Paolo Gentiloni has been President of the Council of Ministers from December 2016 to March 2018. Although Art. 95 states that the President of the Council of Ministers is responsible for coordinating inter-ministerial activity, it is also said that the Ministers themselves have individual responsibility for matters relating to their ministries (See Italy, “Presidency of the Council”). Under Gentiloni’s presidency, Libya was the key component of Italy’s migration policy also because of the new minister of Interior Marco Minniti. Italy pursued a cooperation with the Libyan coastguard both through the EU operation and bilaterally, despite full knowledge of the conditions in the Libyan detention centers.On the 2nd of February 2017, Gentiloni signed the 2nd Memorandum of Understanding between Italy and the Libya’s Government of National Accord which saw Rome pledge support in the form of training, equipment and development investment to help the Tripoli government improve border security on the coastal and southern borders, and to fight the smuggling and trafficking of human beings and of contraband. Italy assumed the principle implementing functions of training the Libyan coastguard as well as vetting candidates and surveilling their activities. 

In 2016 the Government of National Accord (GNA) lead by Fayez al-Search and Rescueraj entered into power. The Italian government supported the newly internationally recognized government and started diplomatic talks showing its intention to support the “stabilization of the country under the lead of the GNA.  Minister Paolo Gentiloni started to meet with the Libyan counterparts to discuss the way Italy could support the Libyan government in this transition and “Migration management” and human trafficking were among the top priorities of cooperation discussed between the GNA and the Italian government. In the context of these previously existing cooperation structures, the Italian government intentionally designed and implemented a complex system to externalize migration management responsibilities after the fall of Gaddafi regime. (See Italy, “2nd Policy: Libya (2015-2019)”.

In 2017, Paolo Gentiloni together with the Interior Minister Marco Minniti and the Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano, decided to allocate 2.5 million euros of the Fondo Africa through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Decree no 4110/47 of 2017, for “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”. The 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 (See Italy, “Fondo Africa”).