Urgent Appeal: Illegal Migrants dying of Tuberculosis at al-Hamra Detention Center, Gheryan Libya
Human Rights Solidarity (HRS) has received information concerning the spread of tuberculosis (TB) at “al-Hamra” Detention Center in Gheryan, about 80 Km South West of Tripoli. Human rights activists are concerned that the infectious disease will claim more lives inside this Center, because of lack of medical care and overcrowding. The Center is run by the Anti-Illegal Immigration Agency (AIIA)[i].
The body of a refugee[ii], registered refugee with the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), is lying in a store[iii] in al-Hamra Center since Thursday 7th February, after he died from TB. HRS learned that the director of the Center, Colonel Abdulgader al-Ruba’, contacted the Red Crescent Society, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the UNHCR to help with the situation, but reportedly none of these entities came. Colonel al-Ruba’ reported that “there are two more very acute TB cases at the Center”.
HRS and other Libyan human rights organizations have repeatedly warned[iv] about the dire situation of irregular migrants being held in detention centers throughout Libya. Since the EU adopted its aggressive policy of preventing migrants from crossing the Mediterranean and returning them to Libya, the number of migrants at AIIA run centers has increased rapidly. Overcrowded centers, combined with lack of medical care, poor meals, and very poor hygiene, is just the ripe environment for epidemic outbreak of TB and other infectious disease.
HRS calls on the Libyan authorities, to immediately help al-Hamra Detention Center to properly document the case of the dead migrant, issue the required permit to bury the deceased. HRS reminds the UNHCR and the IOM that it is their duty to support these stranded migrants. Migrants stranded in Libya, in a country facing immense problems, because the EU chose to forgo its obligations under International Laws by adopting immoral and inhumane policy.
[i] AIIA is a government agency reporting to the Government of National Accord in Tripoli.
[ii] According to information received by HRS, the refugee was from Eretria, he was 25 years old.
[iii] The body is lying in a store, not the morgue. The local authorities refused to issue a death certificate to allow for a proper burial.
[iv] Human Rights Solidarity: “Sixteen Libyan NGO’s issue a Joint Statement on EU Policy to return Migrants to Libya”, 4th October 2018. Human Rights Solidarity: “Ten Libyan human rights organizations issue a Joint Statement Concerning Centers of Migrants and Asylum Seekers in Libya”, 13th June 2018.
