The European Union on Tuesday defended its record of helping migrants in Libya, after UN-backed investigators accused the 27-nation bloc of encouraging human rights abuses and other crimes in this North African country.
Presenting the report of a UN fact-finding mission to Libya on Monday, Investigator Chaloka Beyani said EU assistance to the Libyan authorities, the migration department, and the coast guard “helped and encouraged the commission of these crimes”, including crimes against humanity.
The report states that the migrants, some of whom could have been granted asylum, “were apprehended, detained and disembarked in Libya, also the EU and its member countries “provided, directly or indirectly, financial and technical support as well as equipment, such as boats, to the Libyan Coast Guard and the Directorate of the fight against illegal migration”, which have been used to intercept and detain migrants.
Libya is an important jumping-off point for people from North Africa and beyond who wish to make the perilous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea in poorly maintained boats, looking for a better life or a refuge in Europe.