On Wednesday 15 November, the European Union defended its cooperation with Libya. The previous day United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein had described this cooperation as "inhuman", saying that the situation of migrants had become catastrophic.
In Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein's view, "the increasing interventions of the EU and its member states have not thus far served to reduce the number of abuses suffered by the migrants". "The suffering of the migrants held in Libya is an insult to the conscience of humanity", he said.
"It is not the action of the EU that created an inhuman system in Libya. Quite the opposite, we (...) are working" to remedy the situation, EEAS spokesperson Catherine Ray retorted. The EU is acting on the ground in cooperation with international agencies and its priority "is, and will remain, to protect lives and ensure that every person benefits from human and dignified treatment".
The EEAS spokesperson stated that the training work the EU is doing with the coastguards, with a component on human rights, will continue because it has enabled "thousands of lives to be saved in Libyan territorial waters".
Ray said that, along with a representative from the Estonian Presidency of the EU Council, the head of the EU delegation in Geneva met members of the UN High Commissioner's cabinet on Wednesday 15 November "to clarify the EU's position and underline the strong cooperation" between the EU and UN agencies on the ground.
"We are working on all fronts to deal with the terrible situation in Libya and to protect" migrants and refugees, European Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos told media. "The situation is terrible, dramatic. We must all do more together" to deal with this issue, he recognised.
Elsewhere, the European Parliament announced it was sending a delegation to Libya on 16-22 December. The objective will be to check the situation, especially the humanitarian situation, with a focus on the efforts of the Libyan authorities in the process of stabilisation and the respect of fundamental rights. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)