Tweet

Some states either directly or through their intelligence services have negotiated agreements about illegal migrants with the Libyan "officials authorities" but also with groups who are in fact traffickers in human beings. And these unworthy talks continue despite the fact that the conditions of detention of these migrants -especially those coming from Sub Saharan Africa- are horrific. Those who negotiate, often in the name of European countries, know what is going on: torture, rape and also selling of prisoners into slavery. We are obviously not unaware of the fact that Libya is in total chaos. At least 2 governments, local chiefs, factions but also tribes are involved in this scandal. But that is no reason to agree almost anything to achieve an objective of migration policy. Numerous reports, for ex. the UN report from Dec. 2016 entitled "Detained and Deshumanised" strongly condemn this unacceptable situation. The humanitarian organisations have great difficulty to visit the places of detention, including the Abu Salim prison. But the most important issue concerns the illegal jails -estimated to more than 30- operated by criminal groups who practice torture with absolute impunity. It is high time for the EU to press all the " Libyan authorities " to immediately stop these abuses. Of course, the solution to the current migratory crisis is extremely complex. All the more reason for the international community to be much more robust with its Libyan stakeholders. The very least we can do is to require that all migrants who are detained in this country are treated with dignity. The current situation is just shameful.

Tweet