I believe “pay” is subjective here. These are paid in geopolitical tokens. Libya is a major “exporter” of refugees to Europe, and control over that “trade route

I believe “pay” is subjective here. These are paid in geopolitical tokens. Libya is a major “exporter” of refugees to Europe, and control over that “trade route” is itself a major “token” to be traded for. Lest we forget “we came, we see, he died”