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Thousands of refugees and migrants camped in front of a United Nations center in Tripoli for three weeks. After a large-scale attack resulted in the arrest of thousands, they called for evacuation from Libya.
Although the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) stated that it has suspended work in the Libyan capital after the recent crackdown, the new call for sit-ins still exists.
“There is no medical treatment. There is no food. There is no water. The biggest problem is the toilet,” said an Eritrean man who had been at the scene but asked not to be named. “We hope that UNHCR can take us to a safe country, otherwise no one cares about us no matter what we do.”
Joint protests have been held in many countries, including Britain, Sweden, Italy and Canada.
“But for them, there is still no solution,” said a participant in Stockholm, the Swedish capital, who evacuated from Libya two years ago. “Until now, they have not received medical treatment and shelter.”
Since October 1, more than 5,000 people have been rounded up by security forces and detained indefinitely. According to United Nations estimates, this includes approximately 540 women, of whom at least 30 are pregnant. Many people have spent years between government-related detention centers and smugglers, and have survived torture and other ill-treatment.
On October 8, at least 6 people were Be killed Thousands of detainees have left the overcrowded Ghot Shaal or al-Mabani detention centers.
Four days later, the United Nations stated that one of the men arrested in the raid and escaped again-a 25-year-old Sudanese who fled the conflict in Darfur-was shot dead by “a group of armed masked men.” Witnesses said it was Libyan security forces who attacked him.
“We are scared and we can’t go out,” said the Eritrean who had been hiding with his family since the attack began in a call from Tripoli. “Write about us. In the war, it was much better than now. We are more afraid now. We are afraid of going to prison. We have children and we know life in prison.”
He said smugglers currently charge between US$1,500 and US$2,000 per person trying to reach Italy or Malta through the Mediterranean. “Many of us tried to cross the sea,” he said, adding that they had lost faith in UNHCR and the legal way to safety. “[They] Nothing can be done. “
He said that two of his friends managed to escape a surprise attack by the security forces but were injured by a whip.
“A lot of people, we don’t know where they went, they tried to escape from the police,” he said. “We will not go outside because many people have died here, but we don’t know what to do. If they go to the streets, you may be kidnapped and asked to pay.”
Spokesperson Tarik Argaz said that as many as 3,000 people are currently waiting outside the UNHCR community day center, but the agency suspended work there shortly after the raid for “security” reasons. Algas said that UNHCR staff are still in contact with refugees in other ways, including distributing some aid.
“Their situation is precarious and we are very worried about them,” he said. “Many people have been affected by raids, demolishing their homes and being detained in terrible conditions. Others have joined in, hoping to be evacuated. Many people are now sleeping in cold, unsafe environments.”
Refugees and asylum seekers want to evacuate to safe countries in Europe or North America, despite number The space provided by the state is far below the level of demand. This year, only 345 people left the country via evacuation flights, and in 2020, only 811 people left the country.
In recent months, the Libyan authorities have prevented the evacuation flights from taking off. “This has prevented more than 1,000 vulnerable refugees and asylum-seekers from reaching the safe zone. These refugees and asylum-seekers are currently prioritized on humanitarian flights,” Argaz said.
He added that last week, UNHCR received an “oral confirmation” stating that the evacuation flight would resume soon, but there was no formal written confirmation. “Our team is already preparing all the necessary logistical guarantees to resume evacuation as soon as possible. However, this may take some time because some people who are flying priority are currently detained due to security actions. Others cannot be contacted because of their houses Demolished, property [and] The phone was taken away,” Argaz said.
Thursday, Libya Host Foreign dignitaries in the Libyan stabilization conference to win support for elections scheduled for December and January.
For a long time, Libya has been attracting refugees and immigrants from all over Africa, who fled war, dictatorship or escaped poverty, hoping to cross the Mediterranean to Europe. In 2017, the European Union pledged to provide tens of millions of dollars to train and equip the Libyan Coast Guard to carry out interceptions along the coast, with the purpose of preventing refugees and migrants from making this journey. Since then, more than 82,000 men, women and children have been arrested at sea and forced to return to Libya, usually detained indefinitely.
Earlier this month, a fact-finding mission appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council found that “murder, slavery, torture, imprisonment, rape, persecution and other inhumane acts committed against immigrants [in Libya] Forming part of a systematic and widespread attack against this group to advance national policies” may constitute a crime against humanity.
Some people have gone through the same cruel cycle as many as 10 times. report Said, “Under the absolute control of the authorities, militias and/or criminal networks, the security is paid to ensure release, cross-sea attempts, interception and subsequent return to the detention facility under harsh and violent conditions.”
People who have recently supported refugees trapped in Libya include the famous American lawmaker Ilhan Omar, who Tweet Said she was “deeply disturbed” by their treatment.
“The Libyan Coast Guard did not welcome thousands of refugees fleeing violence and instability, but handed over migrants to militias, who systematically tortured, raped, abused and enslaved them. The EU has not welcomed refugees since 2015. Instead, it provided Libya with US$455 million.”
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