The Libyan Foreign Minister, Najla Al-Mangoush, has called on neighboring countries to urgently set up mechanisms on the regional level to fight smuggling, human trafficking and illegal immigration.

Al-Mangoush said, during her visit to Qatroon municipality and Al-Toum border with Niger, that she would visit in the near future the source countries of immigration to urge them to agree on bilateral accords that allow their nationals to return home.

Al-Mangoush added that she will send a bill to the House of Representatives that proposes tougher punishments for smugglers and human traffickers, renewing her call on neighboring countries to intercept people before being trafficked.

The Libyan Foreign Minister also reiterated the need for withdrawing all foreign forces from Libya, Wagner Group mercenaries, Janjaweed and Syrian mercenaries included, adding that this withdrawal must have a deadline to be set by the 5+5 Joint Military Commission under the auspices of the UN as per the Security Council resolutions.

Al-Mangoush indicated that Libya had been operating as a guard to European border and that it couldn't be a gate for the persecution and suffering of Africans, calling in the European countries to fulfill their commitments and unfreeze the assets allocated for border security that are worth about half a billion dollars.