Italy Is Paying Libya To Intercept Migrants On The Mediterranean (HBO)

In the first six months of 2017, the number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy dropped by around half. This drastic fall in numbers was likely a result of the $236 million deal signed in February, in which Italy funds and trains the Libyan coastguards to divert migrants right back to Libya. While the Italian government sees this as reason for celebration, the brunt of the migration crisis is now firmly on Libya. This is a problem given that the UN-backed Libyan Government of Natio