The Jesuit Refugee Service Malta released a report entitled “Do They Know? Asylum Seekers Testify to Life in Libya.”
“Since May 2009, some 1409 migrants, attempting to reach a place where they could obtain protection or the possibility to live in safety and dignity, were pushed back to Libya. These actions were widely criticised and held by many to be a violation of international law, as Libya does not have the mechanisms in place to grant protection to those who need it and there is evidence that those returned would be at risk of harm.”
“JRS Malta believes that returning migrants to Libya, where they cannot obtain effective protection if they need it and where they face a real risk of serious harm, violates international law. We therefore call upon the government to:
• Ensure that all asylum seekers within Malta’s effective jurisdiction are allowed to apply for protection.
• Rescue migrants intercepted by the AFM if they have requested assistance, as otherwise their safety cannot be guaranteed
• Ensure that all those rescued within Malta’s Search and Rescue Area are disembarked at a safe port, where those in search of protection can seek asylum
• Refrain from actions that will result, directly or indirectly, in the return of migrants to a country where they risk suffering serious violations of their fundamental human rights.”
Click here for copy of JRS Malta statement.
Click here for the report “Do They Know? Asylum Seekers Testify to Life in Libya.”
MIGRANTS AT SEA 