On Thursday, Amnesty International urged the European Union to reconsider cooperation with Libyan authorities over “horrific abuses” of refugees and migrants.
“The EU and its member states must completely reconsider their cooperation with Libyan authorities, making any further support conditional on immediate action to stop horrific abuses against refugees and migrants,” Amnesty International said in a statement.
“Instead of being protected, migrants are met with a catalogue of appalling human rights abuses,” the statement reads, adding that: “Even in 2020, the EU and its member states continue to implement policies trapping tens of thousands of men, women and children in a vicious cycle of abuse.”
These remarks came after the European Commission announced on Wednesday a long-awaited proposal for asylum policy for the EU. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and others have long warned that it is not safe for migrants to be returned to the Libya due to its internal conflict.
Libya has become a key route for irregular migration to Europe in the chaotic years since the 2011 overthrow and killing of ex-leader Muammar Gaddafi.