On Wednesday, the EU-AU-UN Tripartite Taskforce held a meeting in Brussels to discuss the situation of migrants and refugees in Libya.
In a joint statement, it called on the international community and Libyan authorities to “work together to improve the plight of migrants and refugees in Libya.”
The meeting was attended by the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, the Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development of the African Union Commission, Minata Cessouma Samate, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, and the IOM Director-General, António Vitorino, to discuss and advance the priorities of the Taskforce.
The members reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the Libyan authorities’ efforts to tackle the urgent needs on the ground.
While working alongside other actors, they will “step up their efforts to further support the development of non-discriminatory legal and policy frameworks for migrants and refugees, based on international and African Union standards and human rights, with the aim of protecting and saving lives along the migratory routes, and particularly in Libya.”
They further urged the Libyan authorities to “end the arbitrary detention of migrants and refugees, starting with women and children. As well as other individuals with specific needs or disabilities.”
The Taskforce announced that it is “ready to assist the Libyan authorities to ensure practical alternatives such as release into the community or accommodation in Migrant Response Centers (MRCs), where they can receive psychosocial support and health assistance.”
It called on the international community to support the Libyan authorities in combating human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants, notably by “facilitating effective prosecution efforts and preventing the risks of re-trafficking and disappearance.”
It also agreed to support raising awareness on the dangers of the journeys along the migratory routes, and to seek durable solutions for migrants and refugees.
The Taskforce reiterated its commitment to supporting Libya’s efforts to “ensure improved migration governance and border management, whilst fostering full respect for the human rights of refugees and migrants and access to protection.” They further called on the Libyan authorities to “issue documentation for labour migrants in the country and recognise documentation provided to refugees, pending the establishment of a comprehensive national migration management system.”
They remain “committed to supporting stepping up voluntary humanitarian returns from Libya, notably by facilitating the Assisted Voluntary Returns and Reintegration (AVHRR) Programme for individuals in Libya who wish to return home voluntarily, and are assessed not to be in need of international protection.” They called for abolishing administrative exit fees for those departing from Libya.
The Taskforce called on the enhanced use of Emergency Transit Mechanisms in Niger and Rwanda. It also emphasized the need for the international community, including the African Union and the European Union, to “offer tangible support, notably by considering expanding legal, safe, and regular pathways for migrants and refugees. This includes humanitarian corridors and enhanced resettlement places for refugees and voluntary returns and reintegration.”
Today’s meeting contributes to delivering on the Joint Vision for 2030 set out at the 6th EU-AU Summit held in Brussels in February 2022, where both continents’ Leaders committed to revitalising the work of the joint EU-AU-UN Tripartite Task Force.