The authorities in eastern and western Libya have intensified their crackdown on migrants and refugees over the past month, conducting mass arrests, detentions, and deportations, Amnesty International said on Tuesday, accusing the European Union of complicity in these abuses.
Libya, which is divided between competing western and eastern factions, has become a major transit route for people fleeing conflict and poverty to Europe via a perilous sea route since the 2011 uprising supported by NATO that led to the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi.
The EU and its member states have long supported and trained the Libyan coast guard, which intercepts migrants at sea. Although the EU officially recognizes only the government in Tripoli, it has also increased its engagement with competing eastern authorities over the past year.
Details of the Repression and EU Complicity
According to Amnesty, the crackdown involved mass arrests in various cities, forced evictions, and the deportation of hundreds of migrants, including citizens of war-torn Sudan, without the opportunity to apply for asylum or appeal their deportation.
“The EU has long funded migration control in Libya, supporting the Libyan coast guard, which has already made it complicit in horrific violations and abuses,” said Diana Eltahawy, Deputy Regional Director for Amnesty International in the Middle East and North Africa. “Expanding this cooperation to eastern armed groups, which have a history of committing war crimes and other abuses with impunity, shows a shocking disregard not only for international law but also for human life and dignity,” Eltahawy added.
The executive European Commission of the EU, the Libyan government in Tripoli, and the eastern administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment. EU officials have defended their cooperation with Libya, arguing that it helps save lives at sea and combat human trafficking.
Source: The Straits Times