03/06/2005 (Agence Europe) - International human rights organisations are demanding that the EU take many precautions in opening cooperation with Libya on asylum and illegal immigration, on the agenda of the JHA Council on Friday in Luxembourg. Following Amnesty International in mid-May, the European Council on Refugees (ECRE) on 1 June sent an open letter to the President of the Council, Luxembourg's Nicolas Schmit, to demand that Member States “ensure that their actions do not lead directly or indirectly to violations of refugees' rights”. The ECRE Secretary General Peer Baneke wrote that “although it is appropriate for the EU to support and encourage Libya to offer asylum and full protection to refugees”, nobody should be expelled from the EU to Libya “while such protection does not exist”. The ECRE demands that Malta and Italy, which already expel many illegal immigrants to Libya, should show compliance with international standards.