Libyan refugees experience widespread abuse in detention centres
The aid organisation, Refugees in Libya, have expressed dismay at the horrific conditions experienced by Libyan refugees and asylum seekers, according to France24 on September 19th.
Earlier in September, the non-governmental organisation posted a video on social media highlighting the abusive and abhorrent conditions asylum seekers face.
Circulated videos showed refugees packed together on the floor at a detention centre in the Libyan city of Tobruk, with no blankets, mattresses or any semblance of comfort. Further videos posted illustrate the violence and violations Libyan refugees experience, with one man handcuffed to bars across a window.
Libya’s location in northern Africa along the Mediterranean coast positions the country as a key hub for refugees and migrants attempting to traverse the dangerous path to Europe, and Libya, in addition to other Maghreb nations, struggling to deal with the consequences.
Recently, Libya has initiated a migrant crackdown, deporting at least 700 Sudanese refugees fleeing conflict, hoping to stem the flow of migrants entering Libya and filling detention centres.
Despite border controls and migration agreements supported by EU funding, Libya and Mauritania have received criticism over widespread human rights violations, including torture and arbitrary detention.
At the Tobruk detention centre, the prison is described as “full of diseases”, with one detainee explaining that “they tortured this one man so much” in order to acquire his mobile phone.
Libya has recently conducted talks with EU member states such as Greece and Malta to toughen stances on irregular migration and help curb human trafficking networks, but there are fears Libya is exploiting EU support to facilitate financial gain, whilst simultaneously committing heinous human rights abuses.
Sexual abuse and rape are also common treatments within Libyan detention centres, in addition to denial of medical treatment. Root causes of migration in Africa, including widespread conflict and poverty, in addition to flawed EU-backed migration policies, have contributed to this unsustainable situation where no one emerges in a positive light.
France24, Maghrebi.org, Doctors Without Borders
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