Brussels, 17/07/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 14 July, Libya called on the European Union to amend its new rules on illegal immigration, declaring that the EU's insistence to take measures treating African migrants as criminals will push the African Union to take action. At the end of June, the EU had decided to harmonise procedures of retention for illegal migrants (EUROPE 9685). “Africa will not accept any law based on repression and which treats African migrants, including children and people with disabilities, as criminals”, the Libyan foreign minister said in a communiqué. “If they continue to maintain their stance, Libya will consult other members of the African Union to study this (European) law and its consequences and take a united stance on this decision”, the minister said. He went on to add that no country is authorised to decide on the destiny of the other country in a unilateral manner. The press release also states that the time is now past when a party could take decisions that committed another party without prior consultation of that party. Libya is the second African country after Senegal to envisage retaliatory measures on the part of the African Union (EUROPE 9703). (B.C./transl.jl)