The UK and Libya vowed to boost co-operation and strengthen joint operations to counter the irregular migration influx towards Europe.
On an official visit by British Minister of State for Illegal Migration Michael Tomlinson to Tripoli on Monday, the two countries discussed means that could be introduced to implement a firmer policy on migration.
Mr Tomlinson, who was joined by British ambassador to Tripoli Martin Longdon, held talks with Libyan Prime Minister of the Tripoli-based National Unity government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, and Libyan Presidential Council member Musa Al Koni.
Mr Dbeibah expressed his country’s commitment to co-operate with all its neighbours and those who would like to assist its efforts in managing the large number of migrants it is hosting as a transit destination.
“Libya is not a destination country in itself but it is rather a transit area for illegal migrants,” he told Mr Tomlinson.
“For that reason we seek to co-operate with all states involved in this question and we especially appreciate the UK’s willingness to offer its support to Libya regarding this matter.”
Meanwhile, Mr Al Koni told the visiting British delegation of the need to provide Libya with the necessary logistical support to secure its southern borders and reduce the flow of migrants towards the north, where they could cross the Mediterranean to Europe.
Migrants arriving in Europe - in pictures
Most migrants in Libya come from Sub-Saharan African countries. They usually enter its territories through its southern borders with Chad, Niger and Sudan.
Mr Al Koni also said that the polarised political situation in Libya makes it difficult to reach a unified strategy that would ensure securing the borders and deterring irregular migrants from crossing the Mediterranean to Europe.
Mr Tomlinson asserted to the Libyan officials that his government is working hard to provide all the necessary assistance to Libya to curb the migration influx towards Europe, saying this question is a top priority for his country.
Since the overthrow of Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi’s regime by rebels – backed by western air strikes – in 2011, Libya has been rocked by unrest.
The country remains divided because of a continuing rivalry between two governments, one based in the west in Tripoli and another in the east in Benghazi, and different armed factions’ attempts to seize control of the oil-rich North African state.
It has been a favourable environment for developing well-organised smuggling and human trafficking networks that continue to take advantage of the dire and fragile circumstances migrants face in North Africa.
According to the UN’s Migration Agency IOM, Libya is home to about 704.000 migrants from more than 43 nationalities, with most fleeing their home countries because of war, armed conflict, political persecution or even degrading environmental conditions.
Most of these migrants die in the desert as they are on their journey to the northern part of their continent, or at sea, when they try to reach their final destination, Europe.
LAST-16 FIXTURES
Sunday, January 20
3pm: Jordan v Vietnam at Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
6pm: Thailand v China at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: Iran v Oman at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Monday, January 21
3pm: Japan v Saudi Arabia at Sharjah Stadium
6pm: Australia v Uzbekistan at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: UAE v Kyrgyzstan at Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tuesday, January 22
5pm: South Korea v Bahrain at Rashid Stadium, Dubai
8pm: Qatar v Iraq at Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
if you go
The flights
The closest international airport to the TMB trail is Geneva (just over an hour’s drive from the French ski town of Chamonix where most people start and end the walk). Direct flights from the UAE to Geneva are available with Etihad and Emirates from about Dh2,790 including taxes.
The trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc takes about 10 to 14 days to complete if walked in its entirety, but by using the services of a tour operator such as Raw Travel, a shorter “highlights” version allows you to complete the best of the route in a week, from Dh6,750 per person. The trails are blocked by snow from about late October to early May. Most people walk in July and August, but be warned that trails are often uncomfortably busy at this time and it can be very hot. The prime months are June and September.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The six points:
1. Ministers should be in the field, instead of always at conferences
2. Foreign diplomacy must be left to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation
3. Emiratisation is a top priority that will have a renewed push behind it
4. The UAE's economy must continue to thrive and grow
5. Complaints from the public must be addressed, not avoided
6. Have hope for the future, what is yet to come is bigger and better than before
The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
DMZ facts
- The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
- It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
- The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
- It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
- Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
