The aim of the project is to fill a knowledge gap regarding the nature of migration flows in Libya, and to further promote Libya’s institutional capabilities to manage these flows. It is implemented with the lead of ICMPD, in co-operation and partnership with the International Organisation for Peace, Care, and Relief (IOPCR), the Office of the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the Italian Council for Refugees (CIR), and in collaboration with Centro Studi Politica Internazionale (CeSPI), particularly on the mapping of migration flows in Libya.
The implementation of this initiative, which is supported by Italy, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, has effectively started at the beginning of November 2008, and will be completed by the end of September 2009. It is essentially a “gaps and needs assessment” that is intended to set the key foundations upon which related initiatives, including the second Libya project would be based.
To fulfil the aim of the survey, ICMPD has identified 8 thematic topics that will be addressed within the scope of this project/study. These are namely:

1.       Development (with the active participation of UNDP)

2.       Labour migration (with the active participation of ILO)

3.       Integration (with the active participation of ICMPD’s expert)

4.       Return and readmission (with the active participation of IOM)

5.       Mapping of migration flows (conditions for migration, composition, future intentions) (with the active participation of CeSPI)

6.       Asylum and refugees (with the active participation of UNHCR and CIR)

7.       Smuggling and trafficking (with the active participation of UNODC)

8.       Border management (with the active participation of ICMPD’s expert)
In collaboration with the quadripartite agreement partners and the above-mentioned participating expert agencies, ICMPD has prepared and circulated a comprehensive questionnaire which addresses each of the topics mentioned above, for completion by the relevant Libyan authorities.
In close co-ordination with the ICMPD Project Manager, an expert on each topic participates in and reports on a fact finding mission to Libya (four 9-day missions, from April to July, 2009). The questionnaire is provided to the participating experts prior to their missions.
To date, ICMPD has successfully implemented 2 of the 4 envisaged expert missions to Libya (in April and May), addressing 4 thematic topics; namely numbers 1 to 4 above. Another 4 topics will be addressed in the upcoming 2 missions (in June and July); namely numbers 5 to 8 above.
IOPCR has facilitated (and will continue to facilitate) the required interviews with the respective Libyan authorities. The experts’ role is to conduct interviews with these authorities, jointly with other members of the delegation (ICMPD and IOPCR representatives).
The final report will be based on:

·    the answers to the questionnaire;

·     information obtained during the interviews;

·     legislative material, government decisions, and other material obtained (and translated) by ICMPD for the experts;

·     the existing thematic knowledge of the experts (combined with their recently-acquired knowledge on the geographical area, and to particular conditions in Libya).

The United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland