Justice and Human Rights Libya Project #32313

Routes to Justice for Migrants in Libya

Project Report | Jan 14, 2021
Situation Still Desperate for Refugees and Migrant

By Mae Thompson | Programmes Assistant

Situation Still Desperate for Refugees and Migrants in Libya

The last few months of 2020 were particularly treacherous for refugees and migrants in Libya. In October, IOM reported increased violence, abuse and excessive use of force against migrants, as well as an increase in reports of arbitrary arrest and detention. November and December were the deadliest months of the year for those trying to cross the Mediterranean following a devastating series of shipwrecks. The number of interceptions also increased as the year ended, bringing the total number of migrants returned to Libyan shores in 2020 to almost 12,000, with many of those returned remaining detained or missing. Movement and labour restrictions imposed because of COVID-19 have continued to negatively impact migrant communities and have increased their vulnerability.

In December, Marwa Mohamed, Head of Advocacy and Outreach, joined Libyan activist Asma Khalifa and UNHCR Special Envoy for the Central Mediterranean, Vincent Cochetel, on a panel hosted by Cordaid and KUNO to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the humanitarian crisis in Libya and the implications for refugees and migrants. Mohamed said, “Covid has exacerbated the vulnerability of refugees and migrants by creating a heightened sense of xenophobia, further restricting their already limited access to healthcare, and diminishing their ability to earn a daily wage.”

On International Migrants Day (18 December 2020), LFJL further launched a social media campaign intended to draw attention to these specific issues. The campaign calls uponthe EU to immediately cease its support and funding of any of the activities of the Libyan Coast Guard that lead to the interception and return of migrants to Libya. Libya is a country that is not safe for return under any circumstances.

Since the last reporting period, LFJL has continued to engage in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process conducted by the UN Human Rights Council. Ahead of Libya’s review session which took place on 11 November 2020, LFJL conducted some advocacy in order for UN Member States to make key recommendations to Libya to improve its human rights records, including regarding migrants and refugees. As such, LFJL took part in a virtual panel at the UN and made a statement to express key concerns while providing specific recommendations to the Libyan authorities. The rights of migrants and refugees is a priority issue identified by LFJL and other members of the Coalition of Libyan Human Rights Organisations. Their recommendations emphasize the crucial need for accountability to end the cycle of violence against refugees and migrants and calls upon the Libyan authorities to ratify the 1951 Refugee convention and adhere to their international obligations regarding human rights law. A summary of all the key facts and recommendations on this issue can be found here.

What’s next?

Throughout 2021, LFJL will continue its programming aimed at improving the situation of refugees and migrants and providing access to justice for those that have experienced violations in Libya. Activities will include monitoring the outcome of the recent UPR and continuing to hold the Libyan authorities accountable through this mechanism. LFJL will also be working on a project to document and seek accountability for crimes against humanity, including slavery and human trafficking committed against migrants in Libya.

To receive regular updates about our work across all of our programmes, you can subscribe to our newsletter. The LFJL team thanks you for supporting our work.

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Sep 17, 2020
LFJL continues to Speak Truth to Power on the dire conditions facing migrants in Libya

By Mae Thompson | Programmes Assistant

#RoutesToJustice: LFJL continues to Speak Truth to Power on the dire conditions facing migrants in Libya

Although our advocacy and accountability efforts on the ground continue to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, LFJL has continued to stay vocal about the plight of refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants in Libya over the past few months.

In June, LFJL’s co-founder and Director, Elham Saudi, appeared on IGTV with George The Poet, following their collaboration on Episode 7 of George’s podcast (Have You Heard George’s Podcast) in 2019. Against the backdrop of Black Lives Matter protests reignited by the murder of George Floyd, George and Elham discussed how to create solutions beyond social media noise, based on their experiences with the Libyan Slave Trade story that broke in 2017. Elham reflected on her own experiences of holding powerful actors accountable and provided insight into how to have meaningful conversations with decision makers. She highlighted the importance of fact-finding, documentation work, and directing the ‘noise’ to the people who hold the influence. LFJL continues to do this through its podcast Libya Matters, which it has been working on for the past few months ahead of the launch of Season 2. The new season will continue to discuss themes affecting the rights and treatment of migrants, and advocate for their protection, with an upcoming episode set to critically examine accountability mechanisms for European Migration policy.

LFJL has also been monitoring the volatile situation for migrants in Libya given ongoing COVID-19 concerns. On May 21^st we co-hosted a live discussion on conflict, COVID and Libya, chaired by LFJL’s Head of Advocacy and Outreach, Marwa Mohamed. The event concluded a series of opinion pieces published in partnership with openDemocracy, “Libya, between conflict and pandemic”, and facilitated an informed discussion with the authors of the pieces about the intensified conflict, the collapsed healthcare system, and the threat of coronavirus from a human rights perspective.

What’s next?

LFJL will continue to engage in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process conducted by the UN Human Rights Council by submitting further advocacy material that highlights issues faced by migrants in Libya, including arbitrary detention, forced labour, sexual exploitation, and torture. We will also be publishing our recommendations to protect the human rights of migrants and refugees, drawn from our earlier report submitted ahead of Libya’s UPR.

Season 2 of Libya Matters can be found on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and all other major platforms. New episodes released every Wednesday.

We will continue to keep you updated on the progress of the project through GlobalGiving, however please don’t forget to subscribe to our mailing list to remain updates and follow all of our work across our programmes. Many thanks again, from all the LFJL team, for supporting our work!

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May 20, 2020
#RoutesToJustice: Escalating violence and COVID-19 affect migrants and refugees in Libya

By Zyra Edwards | Programmes Intern

#RoutesToJustice: Escalating violence and COVID-19 disproportionately affect the migrants and refugees in Libya

In recent months, Libya has seen a dramatic upsurge in violence coupled with the new challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, putting migrants and refugees in Libya in a particularly vulnerable situation. Recent estimates suggest there are 654,000 migrants and refugees living in Libya. Due to increased violence and COVID-19 concerns, there has been an increase in the number of refugees and migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean. As of 1 May, 3,078 refugees and migrants have been registered as intercepted at sea by the Libyan Coast Guard and disembarked in Libya, most of whom have been arbitrarily detained and transferred to detention centres.

Despite the current global pandemic, LFJL continues to engage in advocacy and accountability projects remotely to promote the well-being and protection of migrants and refugees in Libya.

On 1 April, the European Union launched Operation IRINI, which prioritizes the enforcement of the UN arms embargo on Libya. LFJL's Head of Advocacy and Outreach Marwa Mohameddiscussed the launch of this new operation in her op-ed “Business as Usual for the EU Causes the Suffering of Migrants and Refugees in Libya". Mohamed wrote, “EU policy on Libya including bilateral agreements such as the Memorandum of Understanding with Italy has proven problematic from its conception, and with the establishment of Operation IRINI the complete disregard of the situation in Libya and consequences of further engagement with the Libyan Coast Guard continues to expand”.

In late April, LFJL made a joint statement with 12 other human rights organizations to call for EU institutions to stop any actions trapping migrants and refugees in Libya. The call follows the submission, by a consortium of organisations including the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), ASGI,and ARCI, ofacomplaint to theEuropean Court of Auditors(ECA), requestingan investigation into the EU’s cooperation with Libya, including the spending of funds. The investigation aims at determiningwhether the EU has breached its own financial regulations, as well as its human rights obligations, in its support for Libyan border management. The organisations' call arguesthat the EU also failed to ensure that its funds were not used for activities potentially violating human rights.

This month, we launched a series of opinion pieces in partnership with openDemocracy, “Libya: between conflict and pandemic”, which examines Libya’s response to the pandemic amidst conflict, from a human rights perspective. As part of this initiative, LFJL's Head of Advocacy and Outreach Marwa Mohamed published a piece entitled “Locked up with no escape: refugees and migrants in Libya face bombs, virus and everything in between”. The article examines the bleak situation faced by refugees and migrants in Libya. Mohamed discusses the arbitrary detention of refugees in state-run detention centres, the lack of legal framework to organize the migration and refugee situation, the lack of access to healthcare, and the serious human rights violations to which migrants and refugees are exposed.

What’s next?

On 21 May at 13:00 BST, LFJL will be hosting a live Zoom webinar which will explore how the ongoing conflict and pandemic impact human rights in Libya, including for refugees and migrants. The event will be available here.

We are currently working on the second season of Libya Matters, a podcast which challenges the mainstream international coverage of Libya andhighlightingunder-reported parts of the Libyan story, including raising awareness about the experiences of refugees and migrants in Libya. Keep an eye out in July for the launch of our newest episode!

We will continue to keep you updated on the progress of the project throughGlobalGiving, however please don’t forget to subscribe to our mailing listto stay up to date with all of our work across ourprogrammes. Many thanks again from all the LFJL team for supporting our work!

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