Libyan border officials have received training in biometric and electronic-document checks through an EU-funded program in Italy. The EU Border Assistance Mission in Libya, known as EUBAM Libya, organized specialist instruction in Cesena and practical mentoring at Ancona International Port.
The delegation included officers from Libya’s ministries of Interior, Defence and Foreign Affairs, together with the Libyan Customs Authority. Italian State Police and the Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency supported the activities on the ground.
At the Italian State Police Academy in Cesena, instruction covered document production, security features, electronic documents and biometrics. Participants practiced identifying fraudulent and manipulated documents, combining technical instruction with exercises intended for frontline checks.
The delegation then observed controls on ferry arrivals from outside the EU at Ancona. Italian Maritime Border Police demonstrated document and identity checks and the use of interoperable databases. Customs officers demonstrated currency checks, risk-based inspections and scanners as part of their separate responsibilities at the port.
The initiative used an integrated border management approach, in which different agencies coordinate document verification, information-sharing and risk-based controls. Sandro Tommasi, EUBAM Libya’s Senior Integrated Border Advisor and a senior Italian police officer, said the activities demonstrated how those authorities can complement one another in practice. The exchange also emphasized passengers’ rights.
Libya has previously introduced HID technology for diplomatic and special ePassports. That system uses public key infrastructure to support document issuance and authentication, alongside passport booklets with encrypted chips, polycarbonate data pages and laser engraving. Public key infrastructure allows a receiving authority to check the digital signatures associated with an electronic document.
Regional identity-document projects have also involved Libyan suppliers. Niger signed agreements with Al Itissan Al-Jadeed in 2025 to develop national electronic identification and biometric passport infrastructure through a public-private partnership. Those agreements concerned document issuance, while the EUBAM initiative focuses on officers’ verification skills and coordination at the border.
Established in 2013, EUBAM Libya is a civilian, non-executive EU mission. It supports Libyan authorities through technical advice, specialized training and exchanges of expertise, with its work directed at integrated border management and cooperation among the agencies responsible for border security.
Sources: European External Action Service
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
