Prime Minister Robert Abela hopes that Malta and Libya can continue having discussions to give life to a major solar farm on the Libyan coast that he envisions could connect to the Maltese islands via an interconnector.

Abela has said that he does not just view Libya as a transit country for migrants, but also as one with great economic potential for Maltese and the renewable energy sector.

He stated that the subject of investment was central in his discussions with the Libyan government. He said that investment can be utilised to tackle irregular migration and harness the north African country’s “great economic potential.”

Abela said that through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in July 2023, seeds were sowed for Malta and Libya to collaborate in a major energy project where Malta can harness energy from a solar farm placed on the coast of Libya via an interconnector.

The Maltese Prime Minister remarked that aside from contributing to the decrease of carbon emissions, this project could also promote greater price stability in energy prices for Malta, while showing the European Commission that the country has a long-term vision for its energy sector that extends past helping its people and businesses.

PM Abela spoke positively of having this solar farm on the Libyan coast in order to make use of their large stretches of land – something the Maltese islands naturally does not enjoy. He also added that on top of using some of these renewable solar energy ourselves, this project could also see Malta sell off excess energy to European markets.

When speaking about the “necessary” cooperation between Malta and Libya to handle flows of irregular migrants, the Prime Minister said that a balance must be struck between safeguarding migrants’ humanity and their repatriation from Malta back to their country of origin, if their country of origin is considered to be safe.

“We cannot have just one solution,” he said, “the principal aim is that no single country can deal with this issue from just either one of these phenomena – it must be a collective effort.”

Abela stated that this balance can be struck by dealing with human traffickers with an iron fist and by investing in these countries and provide their people with more opportunities there in an effort to prevent them from emigrating north.

He said that many opportunities do not exist for many fleeing nationals and that Malta and Europe can help these countries by investing in educational infrastructure, health infrastructure, and by promoting quality jobs there. He added that hundreds of thousands of people are risking their lives crossing over to Europe because they are lacking these opportunities in their countries of origin.

On migrant traffickers, Abela said that this financially strong adversary capitalises on fleeing persons who are, in these moments, at their most vulnerable state. As such, he reminded that “we should never forget about the humanitarian aspect of this subject.”

He added that these traffickers also partake in methods of organised crime, such as drug trafficking and partaking in contraband through the shipment of fuels. Abela observed that by investing in the countries of origin of fleeing persons, authorities can dampen the efforts of these traffickers.

Abela continued and mentioned the pressures placed on transit countries like Libya where fleeing migrants can convene and place great pressures on infrastructures there before embarking for better pastures in Europe.

He referenced the holistic discussion he formed part of, on behalf of Malta, before stating that Malta can have a central role in connecting Europe and north Africa to continue observing these phenomena and continue to keep being able to provide solutions for it.

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