Tuesday

28th Nov 2023

Amnesty International shames EU handling of Libya refugees

  • Sub-Saharan migrants are targeted as Gaddafi loyalists in Libya (Photo: IOM)

EU countries have "shamefully" failed to help some 5,000 African refugees who fled the violence directed against them in Libya and are now stranded on the Egyptian and Tunisian borders, humanitarian watchdog Amnesty International said Monday (19 September).

"We have witnessed an abysmal response to the plight of displaced refugees on Europe’s doorstep," said Nicolas Beger, head of Amnesty International's European branch.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

"This failure is particularly glaring given that some European countries, by participating in Nato operations in Libya, have been party to the very conflict that has been one of the main causes of the involuntary movement of people," he explained after Amnesty teams went on fact-finding missions to Libya.

Approximately 1,000 people, including Eritreans, Ethiopians, Iraqis, Ivoriens, Palestinians, Somalis and Sudanese, are stranded at Egypt's Saloum border post, sleeping in makeshift tents made of blankets and plastic sheets.

Meanwhile in Choucha camp in Tunisia, around 3,800 refugees live in an isolated area of desert where conditions are harsh.

One Sudanese man told Amnesty International: "Humans need dignity and freedom. But there is no freedom in Sudan and no dignity here."

Australia, Canada and the USA have offered to resettle some of the refugees stranded at Libya’s borders. But only eight European countries have offered to help, between them offering fewer than 700 slots.

Meanwhile, thousands of refugees have attempted to reach Europe by sea, a perilous journey believed to have claimed more than 1500 lives since the start of the conflict in Libya.

"EU home affairs ministers must urgently address the resettlement issue – they can start by putting it prominently on the agenda of the justice and home affairs council on 22 September," Beger said.

When the rebellion against Gaddafi began earlier this year, hundreds of thousands of people anxious to leave the insecurity of Libya fled to neighbouring Tunisia. The majority of them have since been repatriated back to their country of origin. But sub-Saharan Africans cannot go home due to the violence in their countries.

Meanwhile, many of those who have not managed to get out of Libya are suspected of being Gaddafi loyalists and vulnerable to racist attacks, the watchdog says.

When Benghazi and other eastern cities first fell under the control of the National Transitional Council (NTC), anti-Gaddafi forces carried out house raids, killings and other violent attacks against of anyone suspected to be a mercenary for the dictator.

Amnesty International last week issued a special report calling on the NTC to stop the abuse and protect sub-Saharan people from reprisal attacks.

In response to Amnesty's findings, the NTC said it will adhere to human rights principles and claimed the violations perpetrated by rebel fighters were "limited".

Italy rescues 500 Libya refugees from shipwreck

More than 500 refugees who travelled from Libya, mostly sub-Saharan Africans, were rescued early Sunday morning after their overloaded boat sank a dozen miles from the Italian coast of Lampedusa.

Orban's sovereignty bill seen as fresh attack on rule of law

Hungary's new sovereignty law has been criticised by the opposition as 'another dark milestone' for the country's democratic values and the rule of law — and it could bring yet another clash between Budapest and Brussels.

Analysis

How Wilders' Dutch extremism goes way beyond Islamophobia

Without losing sight of his pervasive Islamophobia, it is essential to note Geert Wilders' far-right extremism extends to other issues that could drastically alter the nature of Dutch politics — and end its often constructive role in advancing EU policies.

Latest News

  1. People-smuggling profits at historic high, EU concedes
  2. EU bets big on fossil hydrogen and carbon storage
  3. How centre-right conservatives capitulate to the far-right
  4. My experience trying to negotiate with Uber
  5. Key battlegrounds in EU's new media legislation
  6. EU 'shocked' by Israel's war-time settler surge
  7. Platform workers could face 'robo-firing' under EU's AI rules
  8. Wilders faces tough road to power, despite election triumph

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  2. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?
  3. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  4. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  5. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us