Migration partnerships
Place of safety arrangements: a “new and innovative solution” for offshoring migration control /// The EU is funding a pullback coordination centre in Benghazi
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Place of safety arrangements: a “new and innovative solution” for offshoring migration control
In search of new ways to push the EU’s border control beyond its territory, a Council presidency paper to the 13 November 2025 meeting of the Working Party on External Aspects of Asylum and Migration (pdf) explores “place of safety arrangements”.
These arrangements, previously referred to as “disembarkation platforms”, are agreements with third countries to have them intercept and detain irregular migrants before they arrive in Europe.
A full analysis of the document will soon be on the Statewatch site and Nikolaj Nielsen has reported on the document for EUObserver.
The EU is funding a pullback coordination centre in Benghazi
A report by German journalist and activist Matthias Monroy, originally published on the German news site nd, reveals plans for the construction of an EU-funded Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Benghazi, in the eastern region of Libya controlled by General Khalifa Haftar.
According to the nd article, an MRCC would serve as the base of operations for eastern coastal forces, allowing enhanced cooperation with the EU’s border force Frontex, and offering considerable international legitimacy for Haftar’s forces.
The plan appears to be in the initial stages, with start-up funding of €3m via the EU’s ‘European Peace Facility’ budget.
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