- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

European Governments 'Complicit' in Migrant Abuse in Libya, Amnesty Int'l Says

© AFP 2023 / MAHMUD TURKIAIllegal migrants from sub-Saharan Africa rest after they were rescued by the Libyan coast guard when their boat sank off the coastal town of Guarabouli, 60 km (36 miles) east of the capital Tripoli on October 2, 2014
Illegal migrants from sub-Saharan Africa rest after they were rescued by the Libyan coast guard when their boat sank off the coastal town of Guarabouli, 60 km (36 miles) east of the capital Tripoli on October 2, 2014 - Sputnik International
Subscribe
Nearly 20,000 migrants remain in migrant detention centers in Libya, where they are subjected to torture, forced labor, extortion and other forms of abuse, according to a report by the human rights watchdog.

Amnesty International has accused European governments of being "complicit in the torture and abuse of tens of thousands of refugees and migrants detained by Libyan immigration authorities" amid growing concerns about the migrant situation in the African country.

The allegations were presented in Amnesty International’s report "Libya’s dark web of collusion," which details how European governments are actively supporting a "system of abuse and exploitation of refugees and migrants" in Libya.

"Hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants trapped in Libya are at the mercy of Libyan authorities, militias, armed groups and smugglers often working seamlessly together for financial gain. Tens of thousands are kept indefinitely in overcrowded detention centers where they are subjected to systematic abuse," John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International’s Europe Director, said.

"By actively supporting the Libyan authorities in stopping sea crossings and containing people in Libya, they are complicit in these abuses," he added.

​Since late 2016, the EU has been working with the Libyan government to help deal with the migrant influx, including by providing funds and training to the Libyan coastguard. However, according to the report, the coastguard is working with criminal gangs and smugglers.

According to Amnesty International, some 20,000 people currently remain in Libyan detention centers, where "they endure horrific treatment."

"By supporting Libyan authorities in trapping people in Libya, without requiring the Libyan authorities to tackle the endemic abuse of refugees and migrants or to even recognize that refugees exist, European governments have shown where their true priorities lie: namely the closure of the central Mediterranean route, with scant regard to the suffering caused," Dalhuisen said, stressing that the EU must rethink its cooperation with Libya and enable migrants to reach Europe via legal routes.

READ MORE: 'Roasted Like Kebabs, Organs Harvested': Fate of Nigerian Migrants in Libya

Europe adopted its controversial 10-point action plan in 2015. It has called for the EU to financially and geographically reinforce its joint operations in the Mediterranean, including additional measures against smugglers and improving asylum application processing. The plan also stipulates migrant fingerprinting, emergency relocating mechanisms, as well as cooperating with the so-called "Libyan authorities."

Migrants are seen on a capsizing boat before a rescue operation by Italian navy ships Bettica and Bergamini off the coast of Libya in this handout picture released by the Italian Marina Militare on May 25, 2016. - Sputnik International
Dozens of Migrants Die in Shipwreck Near Libyan Coast - Reports
Libya plunged into civil war in 2011 after its longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi was toppled and murdered in an uprising. The country is currently divided into multiple parts, de facto not existing as a unified state.

International efforts to resolve the six-year-long conflict have resulted in the establishment of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez Sarraj, who assumed the position of prime minister of the GNA in March 2016. It has so far failed to extend control beyond the city.

A vast part of Libya is being controlled by the elected parliament, supported by the Libyan National Army (LNA), based in the city of Tobruk. The head of the LNA, officer Khalifa Haftar, does not recognize the authority of the UN-backed government.

Besides the two major forces, there are numerous non-aligned tribes and armed groups. Some observers believe that the return of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of Muammar Gaddafi, may help break the stalemate.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала