The osmotic effect of the human trafficking and illegal migration equation is proving to be a menace for those trying to gain from this exercise. This has led to more than 300,000 illegal migrants and 50,000 registered refugees and asylum-seekers being trapped in Libya alone. It has already led to hundreds having drowned in the Mediterranean Sea. The departure points in most cases have been from the northern shores of Libya.
The sorry state of affairs that currently exist in war-torn Libya is being further exacerbated through the inability of regional and international institutions to restore a degree of order within this intractable paradigm- particularly within Detention Centers. Inmates in some of these Centers have revealed the existing deplorable conditions that include up to 50 women being locked in a single room with little food and drinking water and just a bucket for a toilet. The authorities in charge of supervising such Centers also apparently sometimes force inmates to face health hazards by remaining in the same room with persons suffering acutely from TB. Any effort by an inmate towards protesting against the situation is met with unacceptable torture with electricity.
The would-be illegal immigrants have drawn the attention of visiting media personnel to the less than effective measures being undertaken by the UNHCR (whose mandate is to protect refugees) and its sister agency the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) in this regard. These institutions are also being criticized by humanitarian workers for the manner in which these institutions are cooperating with the Libyan coastguard despite the surfacing of several reports which has accused several Libyan agencies of human rights violations during some sea rescues.
It may be mentioned here that since 2015 both the UNHCR and IOM have been providing training workshops and equipment for the Libyan coastguard, who have till now intercepted more than 15,000 people and returned them to Libya. It is now being claimed by some that this cooperation with the coastguard is compromising the impartiality of the two UN agencies. Electronic media reports have referred in this regard to an interesting observation by a humanitarian worker -"They work together with the EU to ensure that the migration problem is not coming to Europe. This is the aim of the EU and some of the European states, and I think they (UNHCR and IOM) are the implementers of that on the ground."
The European Union has tightened measures to prevent migrants crossing the Mediterranean. This has reduced the influx somewhat. There has been a decrease of about 17% since 2018. Nevertheless, it may be noted that according to the media over the past year, some 15,900 refugees and migrants arrived in Europe via Mediterranean routes.
More than 300,000 illegal migrants and 50,000
registered refugees and
asylum-seekers being
trapped in Libya alone
The EU in this regard has issued a statement, where it has reiterated that it "does not seek to stop global migration, but works with international partners to manage international migration, protect migrants' human rights, prevent perilous irregular journeys exploited by illegal human traffickers and ensure opportunities for legal and safe pathways". They have also drawn attention to the need for "Global migration to be addressed via numerous channels and in a multilateral approach. In the case of Libya, the EU works with partners present on the ground, including UN agencies such as UNHCR and the IOM."
Such an approach has however not been accepted fully by several NGOs who are actively involved in efforts to ensure safety for such migrants.
The interesting feature in this matrix is the fact that the UN and other non-governmental organizations not only find that Libya is a difficult environment to work in but also that despite its potential the UNHCR is not even considered by the Libyan government in Tripoli as an important factor. This creates further problems rather than answers in the ability of UNHCR and IOM being able to deal effectively with other NGOs on the ground.
Libya, since the ouster and killing of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, has become a battleground, with rival militias fighting for control. The UN-backed government in Tripoli has little power itself. Instead, it relies on various armed groups to fight off a rival authority based in the east. This creates its own turbulence.
Binoy Kampmark pointed out earlier that the EU Emergency Trust Fund (ETF) created for use in tackling the migration crisis is proving to be a source of misuse rather than a source for positive inter-active engagement.
Since 2014 the EU has spent nearly US Dollar 400 million on projects in Libya aimed at helping migrants. This funding was supposed to have facilitated the functioning of UN institutions and NGOs. However, a UN audit of the UNHCR has revealed mismanagement of funds, and multiple instances of failures to assess how much aid was needed and failures in verifying its delivery.
The report has also suggested that bidding for contracts was not always transparent. The report has also raised a pertinent question as to why deals were done in US Dollars rather than in terms of local currency. It would be important to recall here that in July 2018 Human Rights Watch representatives paid a visit to four Detention Centers in Tripoli, Misrata and Zuwara. A subsequent report indicated that this organization had found inhumane conditions, poor quality food and water, lack of adequate healthcare and disturbing accounts of violence. It appears that the situation has continued to deteriorate since then.
Time has come for the relevant European Union authorities and the representatives of UN institutions to be consistent with international legal norms related to refugees. They need to take a more proactive interest in resolving this inhumane situation. The European Union, an important protagonist in this tragic drama, also needs help in repatriating these unfortunate refugees back to their respective countries.
Muhammad Zamir, a former Ambassador, is an analyst
specialized in foreign affairs, right to information and good governance, can be reached at <