African Refugees' Influx to Europe!

by Selamawi
(Tripoli)

How Much the Influx of African Immigrants from Libya Costs the European Business?

The issue of immigration and influx of immigrants from Africa have been headache to Europe in the last decades. The European Union (EU) has been looking down to Libya both for business partnership and for cooperation to combat the flow of immigrants from Africa.

Since this business is bilateral by nature, the EU attempts to make the bilateral relationship with Libya at the expense of immigrants. Observers have clearly seen this attempt and interpreted it, as the EU needs more oil from Libya and less immigrants.

Starting from June 7, 2010 the EU has started hot debate with Tripoli to achieve a stable agreement that could create sustainable cooperation. As expected, the two parties will sign the agreement by the end of this fiscal year.

It is good to hear about such huge agreement, but as it excluded the issue of mixed migration, we should condemn it. Libya at the same time terminated the presence of the UN Refugee Agency in its territory by criticizing its activity and saying that it is illegal.

At the time of its closure, the media expressed concerns in many press releases and the UN Refugee Agency expressed fears of the future of asylum seekers and refugees in Libya who left without any help.

If concerns expressed by words only are not followed by some critical steps in pressurizing Libya to either sign the refugee convention of 1951 or allow the UNHCR to operate as before, all the official press releases will remain as normal words, normal people and even refugees' authorities may read and throw to the garbage.

It is clear now that, the big firms in the EU get much of their revenues from the great oil exporter Libya, so the issue of immigration at this moment is good most for the EU countries.

Italy, as it comes in the first place among the beneficiaries, where immigrants and potential refugees arrive has already assured its pushback policy and the country is continuing to dump intercepted refugees to Libyan detentions.

In the few last weeks, more than 20 refugees and potential refugees have intercepted and pushed back for detention. The UNHCR is already closed. NO MORE PROTECTION!

The case of Eritreans and Somalis remain highly volatile and they are always the first to face risks. Eritreans at any moment cannot return to their country due to the threats found at home.

Yet Somalis are stateless, and they cannot face repatriation in such situation. The only option is to allow the UNHCR to function and bring some durable solutions in the future.

But, the EU's step to sign its bilateral relations with Libya should not undermine the case of asylum seekers and refugees in Libya. They either should stop pushback or pressurize Libya to allow the UNHCR to resume its work in Tripoli.

Stop looking revenues at the expense of the life of asylum seekers and refugees!

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