AU-EU-UN taskforce endeavoring to support stranded African migrants in Libya

ADDIS ABABA –The tripartite taskforce of the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU), and the United Nations (UN) is endeavoring to support stranded African migrants in Libya, while consolidating efforts to dismantle organized networks of human traffickers and migrant smugglers. 

As they wrapped up the meeting of the taskforce of AU-EU-UN on Thursday, in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, Amira Elfadil, AU Commissioner for Social Affairs told a press conference that the situation of migrants in government-controlled detention centers has improved markedly. 

The Commissioner, who is also AU Special Envoy to Libya, has expressed concern that the situation of migrants in Libya still warrants serious attention as the taskforce can only account for migrants under government detention centers, and not those under private detention centers and several militia groups. 

She stated that the taskforce has been working to repatriate African migrants to their countries of origin or to other third countries. 
According to the Commissioner, the taskforce has managed to repatriate more than 16,000 migrants from Libya, and the number of migrants in government-controlled detention centers has reduced from 20,000 in November 2017 to about 3,400 during her last visit to Libya in February this year. 

The taskforce has been endeavoring to upscale returns, working with concerned member states, in collaboration with the Libyan authorities and the international community and partners, she said. 

"We have managed to repatriate more than 16,000 migrants; more than 1,000 of them were refugees taken to Niger to be taken to be resettled in other countries, or in third country; and the rest we took them to their countries of origin. And there is a process of reintegrating them in their countries of origin, this reintegration process is with support of the member states themselves, countries of origin, plus packages of integration being delivered by IOM," she said. 

The Commissioner further said that there are efforts involving committee of intelligence and security service of Africa (CISSA) to dismantle organized criminal works operating in Libya and neighboring states and that are profiteering from the misery of migrants, including human traffickers and smugglers of migrants. 

Speaking during the press conference, Mohammed Ali Bisher, Head of the Anti-Illegal Migration Authority of Libya, said African migrants are being taken care of at the government-controlled detention centers, where they are provided with foods and medical care services among others. 

"We had more than 27,400 refugees since 17th of September 2017, and now 5,600 are there now, those who are in the centers, detention centers; and some of whom came after being saved from the sea or they just came voluntarily waiting for being returned to their own countries after being recognized by their countries and after being provided with the documents, travel documents," he said. 

The Head noted that the migrants are in detention because the outside is not safe for them and due also to the economic situation in Libya. 

"The 5000, most of them are from the six countries that the UNHCR giving them the right to go to the third country, whether through Niger or Libya to Italy or other countries that are willing; and these are from countries categorized as politically unstable, that is why the UNHCR shoulder the responsibility. So, we host them until being repatriated or being returned to third country," he added. 

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the number of migrants in Libya still remains high at about 621,706, some of whom have been in Libya for decades even before the collapse of the Gadhafi regime in the northern African nation. Enditem 
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