The Italian parliament approved after a heated session held on Monday to a resolution to provide the Libyan Coast Guard with 12 boats to help combat illegal immigration.
The meeting witnessed lively debates between pro-government MPs and opposition parties before adopting the resolution by a majority vote of 382 to 11, with the abstention of the main opposition party "Democratic Party" after its members made efforts to block the adoption of the resolution.
The Italian government said that this step falls within the assistance of the Italian Government to Libya in terms of managing the migration issue, in accordance with the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries.
The opposition parties insisted that the omission of the particular aspect to bind Libya to respect human rights has not been pledged in this deal.
The opposition Italian Democratic Party put three conditions to vote in favour of the government decree, including the presence of United Nations entities on Libyan Coast Guard vessels and in refugee camps in Libya, in addition to the Libyan government's ratification of the Geneva Convention.
The new Italian government composed of right-wing parties has vowed after it came to office to grant Libya 12 boats to help combat the phenomenon of migration, noting that this pledge comes within the framework of the friendship agreement signed between the two countries in 2008 and the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the former Government of Gentiloni with the Presidential Council in 2017.
