The European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties on Monday 27 April invited representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the German NGO Sea-Eye and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency to take stock of the situation in Libya.
These representatives all insisted on the need to find solutions for these people stranded in Libya, which can in no way be considered a safe country: the UNHCR has registered more than 48,000 asylum seekers currently in the country and cases of prostitution and forced marriage are increasing. Some asylum seekers also pay bribes to return to detention centres in the hope of being integrated into relocation programmes in other countries.
The hearing, which was very haphazard due to numerous technical problems, was also an opportunity to call for more sea rescue capabilities, as migrants are still trying to leave Libya and come to the EU.
The situation in Libya has worsened, the Commission acknowledged, pointing out that it has no expertise in sea rescue, but said it was doing everything it could to help Member States deal with arrivals and, in particular, relocation between countries.
The arrivals in the framework of Operation Thémis (formerly Triton) have indeed increased at the beginning of 2020, according to the head of the Frontex agency, Fabrice Leggeri, compared to the same period in 2019, with 2,800 people counted.
The Frenchman also noted that with the pandemic, the detection capabilities of the Coast Guard had decreased. Frontex maintains rescue operations at sea, but limitations have been encountered due to the COVID-19, particularly in Italy.
For its part, the NGO Sea-Eye criticised Italy and Malta for closing their doors to NGO boats, with one boat with 63 people on board having to wait 3 days over the Easter period to be taken over by Malta.
Oxfam complaint
The NGO Oxfam announced on 27 April that it had filed a complaint with the European Court of Auditors against the EU, which “should suspend funding for its programme to stem migration from Libya, because it violates EU budget laws and international human rights law”. It has a budget of €90 million.
The complaint alleges that the Commission provides financial support to projects “which result in the return of people to Libya, where they face abuses, in violation of its obligations not to contribute to serious human rights violations”.
“There is no budget increase for the Libyan Coast Guard, there is a redirection of funds to health, essential care”, especially in the host communities for asylum seekers and refugees, replied a representative of DG NEAR. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)