Amnesty calls on EU to reconsider Libya cooperation over migrant abuse
The rights group called on the European Union to make support for Libya's coast guard conditional upon ending longstanding abuse of migrants.
Amnesty International called on the European Union to reconsider its cooperation with Libyan authorities after thousands of migrants en route to Europe this year were intercepted and subjected to a litany of abuses in the war-ravaged country.
In a report published Thursday, the London-based rights group urged the EU to make any further support to the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) conditional on ending “long-standing patterns of abuse against refugees and migrants, including by state officials and affiliated militias.”
The GNA is one of two rival administrations vying for control of the North African country. The UN-backed government is opposed by Khalifa Hifter’s self-styled Libyan National Army, which has the support of Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
Since the toppling of longtime Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, Libya has become a main transit country for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. The Mediterranean Sea route is a perilous journey, but thousands of migrants risk it every year for the chance of a better life in Europe.
