ASGI expresses concern about the European Union’s proposal to allocate around € 100 million for an “urgent intervention” in Libya in order to limit the new departures of foreign citizens to Europe.
A proposal by the Maltese government on April 13, 2020 foresees a series of measures to prevent the acceleration of departures caused by the exacerbation of the conflict and by the spread of infections by covid-19. The proposal provides for “incentives to stay” in Libya on the one hand, in the form of an “immediate humanitarian mission” by the European Union; on the other, proposes “the strengthening of the Libyan Coast Guard (GCL) in controlling its borders”: according to some sources, a feasibility study for the allocation of 15 million euros for the GCL is already underway, with budget coming from the Partnership Instrument and the EU Trust Fund for Africa.
Once again ASGI finds itself having to reaffirm that both lines of action are not only inadequate but also harmful to the situation of migrants who are trapped in Libya.
The above initiative appears once again to confirm the path taken to strengthen the externalization and outsourcing of border control policies already enshrined in the renewed Italy-Libya memorandum. In particular, managing and blocking refugees is entrusted to subjects who are known to resort to torture and violence against migrants. European authorities and governments themselves, over the last months, are increasingly abdicating their role to help migrants and refugees fleeing Libya. Malta, the promoter of this latest support for the GCL, failed to assist 4 boats in distress on April 13th.
- The strengthening of the Libyan Coast Guard prevents refugees and migrants from fleeing Libya
It is now common knowledge that the Libyan Coast Guard with the technical and technological equipment and instrumentation provided by the member countries carries out – upon delegation by European countries – actions of refoulement. In the case of SS v. Italy, now pending before the European Court of Human Rights, the Italian rescue coordination center has remotely coordinated the Libyan Coast Guard which, through a patrol vessel donated by Italy, brought back to Libya 47 survivors who were then locked up in inhumane conditions in detention centers. This conduct by Italy constitutes a push back by proxy by Libyan authorities with Italian and European coordination and equipment.
ASGI has repeatedly asked judicial authorities to declare that supplying technical and logistical equipment to the Libyan Coast Guard is illegal. There is no doubt that these means are used to commit acts of violence against migrants, such as in the case of the 4 patrol boats restored with the Italian funds, which gave rise to a legal dispute now pending before an Italian administrative court.
Similarly, the complaint to the European Court of Auditors filed by GLAN, ARCI and ASGI alleges the illegitimate use of European funding of approximately 90 million euros for Libya to control its maritime and land borders. The project, the implementation of which is entrusted to the Italian Ministry of the Interior, did not contain any adequate risk assessment, nor any transparency or control mechanisms, despite the clear risk that the funds would end up financing clans that participate directly in hostilities, and thus fueling the conflict dynamics and aggravating the conditions in which migrants are detained.
- No improvement in the conditions of migrants and refugees and a persistent lack of transparency in the management of humanitarian projects
ASGI also reaffirms its opposition to the financing of international and non-governmental organizations for the management and distribution of basic necessities, hoping for an illusory improvement in the conditions of refugees and migrants. The lack of transparency in the management of resources, the difficulty in accessing detention centers, the unpredictable behavior of authorities managing the distribution of goods, do not ensure that resources achieve goals other than humanitarian assistance.
As noted by ASGI, international organizations manage projects worth tens of millions of euro in Libya; however, citizens cannot access reports of the activities carried out and related expenditures, thus making it impossible to verify their actual beneficiaries.
On the contrary, the presence of International Organizations inside detention centers, where people are systematically subjected to any form of torture, risks creating ambiguities that compromise the success of humanitarian activity itself.
ASGI therefore requests:
- The immediate interruption of any form of collaboration with the so-called Libyan authorities in the context of interception or rescue operations of migrants at sea;
- The immediate cessation of all activities in support of the system of detention centers for migrants in Libya;
- The halt of Italian and European policies outsourcing asylum and border control including through international agreements with third countries, consisting in providing funds, technology, military equipment and political support in exchange for often violent and indiscriminate control of their borders;
- The immediate evacuation of all foreigners outside Libya to safe destinations, preferably within Europe;
- To demand the immediate closure of detention centers for migrants still operated by Libyan authorities;
- To ensure maximum transparency on how Italian and European resources are used in Libya.
Photo by Oskar Kadaksoo on Unsplash
