On World Refugee Day[i]
Libyan Authorities arbitrarily detain Hundreds of Refugees[ii] and Asylum Seekers in Inhumane Conditions
Seventeen Libyan human rights organizations, including Human Rights Solidarity, signed a statement on the occasion of World Refugee Day and expressed grave concern for the situation of refugees in Libya. they considered this year the most difficult for asylum seekers and migrants in Libya
The undersigned organizations demanded the Libyan authorities to
- That the Ministry of Interior fulfils its legal obligations towards unaccompanied children, takes all measures to separate them from adults, and facilitates the communication process of asylum seekers with the concerned organizations,
- That the Department for Combating Illegal Migration (DCIM) should train its staff, especially the guards guarding migrants and refugees in detention centres, they receive legal and human rights training to have the ability and competence to deal in professional ways that respect the privacy of children and women, and hire and train female staff to supervise the children and women sections in the detention centre,
- It is important that Libyan organizations working on the care of children and women allocate a part of their activities to children and women detained in detention centres, and seek to launch programs and projects that help alleviate their suffering,
and demanded that
Demanded The United Nations Mission and International Organizations Operating in Libya
- Build a joint and comprehensive advocacy strategy with the Libyan authorities, that is realistic and feasible to expedite the separation of children from adults at all stages of their presence in Libya, especially those who are unaccompanied, and there should be a clear action plan for international organizations and a division of tasks among them so that they have a positive impact on the stakeholders, the children,
- That the assessment of the United Nations Mission and agencies working in Libya on the file of irregular migration in Libya includes eastern Libya and sets a periodic comprehensive assessment for the entire geographical area in Libya. It should also pressure all parties to allow human rights monitors to visit all places of detention,
- International organizations, including the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, pay attention to the hiring of their local staff in Libya, and there is a close follow-up on them in terms of raising their competence in relation to human rights and humanitarian aspects. It is important that part of their work includes receiving training and workshops related to human rights issues,
Reminded Refugees and Asylum Seekers:
- Respect the customs and traditions of the host society and understand the nature of the population, as this will ease the integration and provide a kind of protection for asylum seekers in Libya and migrants in general, and
- Avoid moving to places where the security situation is not safe, to avoid further violations of extortion or threats that endanger life and human dignity
