Since 2000, the number of migrants from conflict countries in Africa attempting to cross the Mediterranean has geometrically increased. The influx has been unmaintainable and has forced several European governments to institute strict border policies. The EU reports published on this global issue are numerous, yet there seems to be no solution.

Until recently, the Guardian reports explain how preventing migrants from entering Italy via Libya is a joint agreement between Libya and the EU. A 13-page paper reveals a multimillion-euro deal provided by the EU and Italy to Libya for the Libyan coastguards to intercept migrants in the Mediterranean. This has been a “profitable business model” for Libya but aims at blocking migrants from the European shores.

Despite the untold and undocumented violence meted out on migrants in Libyan detention facilities, the EU has provided an extra €5m to Libya, and the deal will be continued.

What is in the EU Reports?

Below are some points enumerated in the EU report from the presidency of the EU council. He said a “high-level working group on asylum and migration” will be created:

• There are 17 to 35 official and unofficial facilities, with some run by the militia. 3,700 of the presumed 5,000 people are detained in “conflict areas.”

• Bribery, corruption, non-registration of migrants, and links to human trafficking groups are rampant at these centers.

• The paper adds the Libyan government is indifferent to reporting regular “disappearances” of people arrested by Libyan coastguards.

• According to humanitarian organizations, detainees are coerced by camp officials into forcing relatives to pay for their release.

• In July, fewer than 53 men, women, and children were killed. Also, 130 people were injured when a bomb exploded at a detention facility near Tripoli, where 644 migrants and refugees were detained. Sadly, the bombed-out center was then swiftly refilled with people provided by the Libyan coastguards.

• The detention camps are overcrowded with poor sanitary facilities, food, and water supply.

What are the responses of the EU reports?

Statistically, the number of people arriving in Italy from Libya has dropped from 107,000 in 2017 to about 13,000 in 2018 to just 1,100 by August 2019. The Libyan coastguards have intercepted 5,280 people as of August statistics.

Before the EU makes policies, they need to consider the equality of all humans, even though the European parliament’s civil liberties committee has interrogated EU officials such as the Labour MEP Claude Moraes for full disclosure on human costs.

Sophie in ‘t Veld, a Dutch MEP on the committee, said: “Over the years, billions of euros have flown into Libya to keep migrants away from Europe. It is part of Fortress Europe, the European equivalent of Trump’s wall. Just a lot more lethal than the wall….”

Recommendation regarding the EU report

The EU has to be responsible for devising humane alternatives to handle the migrant crisis. Mainly because unpredictable conflicts have continued to erupt in the last decades. There’s a need for resolutions to curb their eminent effects, including protecting the fundamental human rights of all people.

Instead of subjecting migrants to harsh conditions in detention, the Libyan government should consider repatriating them to their respective countries. Employing methods that involve death and brutality to deter individuals from seeking passage to Europe will not offer a viable solution to the persistent migrant challenge. The resolution of this ongoing phenomenon demands an approach that extends beyond punitive measures.

To effectively address this issue, it becomes imperative for the European Union to produce additional reports that contribute to a more comprehensive management strategy. By gathering further insights and perspectives, the EU can lay the groundwork for a nuanced and sustainable approach that tackles the complexities of migration with a focus on human rights and collaborative solutions.

These EU reports need amendements.

The original article published on the Organisation for World Peace -on November 23, 2019

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