Brussels, 14/06/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 14 June, the NGO Amnesty international voiced its concerns regarding the EU's announcement that it is to extend the naval operation EUNAVFOR MED Sophia to the training of coastguards, arguing that this could “feed into the ill-treatment and horrendous conditions” facing refugees in Libya.
“Of course the Libyan coastguard's search and rescue capabilities have to improve to save lives at sea, but the grim reality at the moment is that the Libyan coastguard is intercepting and returning thousands of people to detention centres where they suffer torture and other abuses. It is critical that any support from the EU does not fuel and perpetrate the abhorrent human rights violations”, said Magdalena Mughrabi, interim Deputy Middle East and North Africa Director at Amnesty International. The EU must step up its efforts to ensure that the Libyan coastguard carries out its operations in line with human rights, she added.
The organisation reported that it had interviewed 90 survivors of Mediterranean crossings from Libya and that at least 20 of them had reported shootings and beatings when they were recovered by the Libyan coastguard and torture and ill-treatment in detention centres. One eyewitness alleged that the coastguard allowed a migrant vessel to sink.
“Europe shouldn't even think about migration cooperation arrangements with Libya if it results, directly or indirectly, in such shocking human rights violations”, Mughrabi stressed, lamenting the fact that the EU has “repeatedly” shown that it is prepared to stop refugees and migrants “at almost any cost”, with human rights taking a backseat.
When approached by EUROPE, an EU spokesperson for foreign affairs explained that the EU training for coastguards “will obviously seriously take into account and include respect of human rights and international standards and obligations”. He added that the EU was aware of the “extremely difficult” conditions facing refugees and migrants and that it condemns any illegal arrest, detention and mistreatment of migrants in Libya. Furthermore, the EU is financing programmes to the tune of €30 million related to migration in Libya, to facilitate the voluntary returns of trapped migrants, help vulnerable people, including migrants in detention centres, and people affected by the conflict, including migrants. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)