LIBYA, HUMAN RIGHTS, INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. CLOSE THE ILLEGAL DETENTION CENTRES, 2019
"Libya has not ratified the Geneva convention on refugees and asylum seekers; it cannot thus be b... more "Libya has not ratified the Geneva convention on refugees and asylum seekers; it cannot thus be bound by law to deal with them. In Libya, those seeking protection and asylum are illegal immigrants and as such are interned in prisons and detention centres according to the laws of this Sovereign State". We have read or heard this or similar statements numerous times. These words have also been uttered by the so-called international community, in other words us, Italy, Europe, democratic countries that have thus remained impotent and inactive in this regard. Other countries have merely observed, sometimes denounced, hiding their inadequacy and temerity behind this hypocritical justification. It is true that Libya has never taken the Geneva convention on refugees into consideration, and thus the obligations deriving from recognising their status. However, it has signed the African regional convention on refugees, and currently only considers seven nationalities as having the right to such status: Syrians, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Eritreans, Oromo Ethiopians and Sudanese from Darfur, some of whom have been and are still being held in detention centres. Libya has also adhered to other treaties and conventions with equal human and ethical value and with equally binding obligations. The state of permanent conflict, instability and political chaos triggered by the senseless international military intervention in Libya in 2011 has undoubtedly weakened the effective implementation of these obligations; but at least let us not hide behind the Libyan rejection of the Geneva convention to justify the lack of action seen over the years and which we continue to see now. The illegal detention centres in Libya must be closed. The conditions of the refugees and migrants being held there are shameful for the entire human race, which witnesses the torture and other cruel, inhumane and degrading punishments repeatedly meted out to men, women and children without taking any action. The credibility of the international "community" is now at stake. The opening of a 'transit and departure structure' has been authorized, managed by the UNHCR in Tripoli for those seeking international protection, but the scope for action in the government detention centres is very limited, as it is at the landing points where those intercepted at sea are offered medical assistance by the UNHCR, registering those who are entitled to refugee status. Those who are not are monitored by the IOM which, again with many limitations and difficulties, ensures their voluntary and assisted transfer to other countries. More interest and commitment by governments that may have leverage over Libya could achieve a lot more and the African commission on human and people's rights would be able to carry out a proper investigation of the serious violations of human rights in Libyan detention centres. On the basis of the African Charter of human and people's rights, ratified by all African countries except Morocco, the Commission is responsible for promoting and protecting human and people's rights. The list of international conventions and treaties that Libya has ratified and adhered to and are still valid and binding is surprising. If by ratification Libya is legally bound to a treaty, accession implies accepting to become a part of a treaty and the legal effect deriving therefrom is the same as that of ratification (High Commission for Human Rights, OHCHR). There is thus a lot of scope for taking action against Libya and ensuring the closure of all inhuman and inhumane detention centres. These are international commitments that are forgotten by the Libyans and the international community; they should be remembered.
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Papers by Nino Sergi
Esso intende essere un contributo alla riflessione su un tema di grande attualità e rilevanza. Vengono ripresi elementi del dibattito internazionale ed europeo, situandoli nei contesti geopolitici più vicini all’Europa e all’Italia, nelle loro dinamiche demografiche e migratorie e nella loro proiezione futura, per delineare elementi di strategia politica e di possibili azioni di cooperazione .
“LINK 2007 - Cooperazione in Rete” è formata dalle Ong di sviluppo e umanitarie: CESVI, CISP, COOPI, COSV, MEDICI CON L’AFRICA-CUAMM, GVC, ICU, INTERSOS, LVIA.
It aims at contributing to the debate on the relation between migration and international development, a pertinent and important topic. It draws on elements from the international and European debate and applies them to geopolitical contexts that are relevant for Europe and Italy. It discusses current population and migration dynamics and future forecasts, and outlines options for policy and development cooperation .
The following development and humanitarian NGOs are members of “LINK 2007 - Cooperazione in Rete”: CESVI, CISP, COOPI, COSV, MEDICI CON L’AFRICA-CUAMM, GVC, ICU, INTERSOS, LVIA.
Drafts by Nino Sergi
Esso intende essere un contributo alla riflessione su un tema di grande attualità e rilevanza. Vengono ripresi elementi del dibattito internazionale ed europeo, situandoli nei contesti geopolitici più vicini all’Europa e all’Italia, nelle loro dinamiche demografiche e migratorie e nella loro proiezione futura, per delineare elementi di strategia politica e di possibili azioni di cooperazione .
“LINK 2007 - Cooperazione in Rete” è formata dalle Ong di sviluppo e umanitarie: CESVI, CISP, COOPI, COSV, MEDICI CON L’AFRICA-CUAMM, GVC, ICU, INTERSOS, LVIA.
It aims at contributing to the debate on the relation between migration and international development, a pertinent and important topic. It draws on elements from the international and European debate and applies them to geopolitical contexts that are relevant for Europe and Italy. It discusses current population and migration dynamics and future forecasts, and outlines options for policy and development cooperation .
The following development and humanitarian NGOs are members of “LINK 2007 - Cooperazione in Rete”: CESVI, CISP, COOPI, COSV, MEDICI CON L’AFRICA-CUAMM, GVC, ICU, INTERSOS, LVIA.