Social welfare fraud, needy families of fallen liberation soldiers and Libyan women gilted by foreign men seeking residency permits are just a few of the issues facing Social Affairs Minister Kamla Khamis Mazini.

Minister Mazini, many Libyan families were negatively affected during the liberation war, what is the role of your ministry in reforming the situation?

Social welfare fraud, needy families of fallen liberation soldiers and Libyan women gilted by foreign men seeking residency permits are just a few of the issues facing Social Affairs Minister Kamla Khamis Mazini.

Minister Mazini, many Libyan families were negatively affected during the liberation war, what is the role of your ministry in reforming the situation?

The government has inherited huge number of problems. We have found out that there are a lot of Libyan families who are either homeless or live in tin and mud houses. Every day I receive local councils from all over Libya demanding solutions for this problem and asking for help.

 What are your proposed solutions for this problem?

 We are not the Ministry of Housing, God help it, because its burden is really heavy.

 What is the role of your ministry then?

We provide assistance for the disabled and social assistance for some social organizations. We also try to provide financial assistance for the needy. Unfortunately, we have granted huge amounts that reached 1,500 or 2,000 dinars (US $ 1,76 – $1, 568) to families, which we thought to be ‘poor’, but have recently discovered that they have manipulated the system to obtain money while the real needy get nothing.

 Do you provide rent allowance for the families who live in rented houses?

 Yes, we do. We grant rent allowance for three categories: the martyrs’ families, (not their parents), the displaced and those whose homes were damaged from the liberation war.

Does the ministry provide aid for the families of those killed fighting with Gaddafi’s brigades?

None of them came to us, but if they do, we will provide them with proper assistance as they are the responsibility of the Libyan society. In my opinion, their families, particularly their children have nothing to do with it. The ministry also has a disaster fund, which is part of the social insurance fund. It provides assistance for those affected by disasters and catastrophes such as tents and other in-kind aid.

What is the ministry’s role in national reconciliation after the liberation war?

We provide support for the conferences, organizations and associations which, we believe, can do the task. However, as a ministry, we have no special committee responsible for this issue, but we are working on forming one and we are really willing to contribute in this regard.

Is there a ministerial committee which is tasked with following up the organizations working on the reconciliation file? And what is the evaluation of their performance?

Currently, there is no such committee, but the ministry is interested in the reconciliation and the displaced. Hopefully, we will be able to assist those working on the issue.

The marriage of Libyan women to foreigners is an issue which proved controversial among Libyan people after concerned regulations were suspended upon the request of Libya’s Mufti.

We are trying to regulate it by setting proper religious, security and social controls.

Have you officially decided to prevent such marriages?

This measure cannot be considered a full-fledged decision, it is just a piece of advice that came after a surge in these marriage in the last months. If we compared the percentage of these marriages in the previous years with their percentage in the last two months, we would find them equal. Some foreigners marry Libyan women just to get the residency, then leave their wives and children and get out of the country, let alone the religious risks of such marriages. This measure is fully justified.

Are there any exceptions?

Foreigners who were born in Libya and reached the age of marriage are more trusted than the displaced who have recently entered the country. The latter’s wish to marry a Libyan woman would be suspect, unlike those who were born and have lived in the country. We, as a ministry, tried to regulate this phenomenon especially at the ministry’s branch in Tripoli.

How then were these marriages banned within courts without an official decision?

We stopped them until we set controls. Soon we will issue a decision which regulates marriage to foreigners. As for polygamy, we are not able to interfere since it is allowed in Islam where men have the right to marry up to four women if they are able to, but we could raise awareness and give advice.

What is the achievement percentage of the ministry’s marriage fund, will older men have advantages?

The fund’s budget is 200 million dinars (US $157 million). All people have the right to benefit from it, but there are eligibility conditions.

It is not logical to say that older people should be given priority since the ministry is not to be blamed for any social or psychological circumstances of people who get old without getting married.

The disabled get a monthly salary of 225 dinars (US $176), do you think it is enough?

Their basic salaries reached 450 dinars (US $352) after the latest increase. All who have basic salaries will definitely be included by the raise decision.

What about the job opportunities in the ministry?

There are very few job opportunities in the ministry since it is overstaffed. We have branches and service offices in which there are employees without contracts, some of whom volunteered to work at these centers during the liberation war and they are now demanding their rights. We are seeking an appropriate way to give them their rights through the Ministry of Labor.

Will they be offered job opportunities within the ministry?

We will give them their rights first and then there will be measures to settle their situation.