10 signatures reached
To: Boris Johnson (foreign secretary)
Improve the conditions for EU-bound migrants in Libyan 'detention' centres
a) Review the current strategy on the treatment of EU-bound migrants within Libyan 'detention centres'.
b) To provide money and support to the Libyan government to improve the conditions within 'detention centres'.
c) To encourage other European countries to also give money and support to the Libyan government on this issue.
d) To consider the creation of sustainable solutions to the migrant crisis, such as the creation of 'peace centres' within Libya, in which every migrant has the right to a bed and human rights whilst lawyers to fight to get them back to their home countries.
Why is this important?
Each night, hundreds of migrants board smuggler owned rubber dinghies to take the perilous journey from Libya to Europe. These migrants either:
a) Drown in the Mediterranean sea, as the dinghies are not built to support the long, dangerous journey, packed to the brim with migrants.
b) Arrive in Italy where they not currently permitted to be.
c) Are caught by Libyan coast guards who transport them back to Libya to be put in 'detention' centres.
These detention centres are awful places, in which many human rights are broken. Migrants eat, sleep and live on crowded floors where they do not have enough space to move around. UK prisons have far better living conditions than those in Libyan 'Detention Centres', yet these migrants are innocent people.
One lady interviewed by Ross Kemp, in his Extreme World series said that she received no hospital care when giving birth and was instead left to give birth in the toilet.
The migrants in these centres are often fleeing war torn countries and are now living in conditions worse than they have left. They have no contact with the outside world, so they are left to live out their days in these awful places.
Article 5 of the Human Rights Act, Right to liberty and security, is clearly being broken.
From the following quote:
"Given its role in the conflict and subsequent destabilisation in Libya, the UK has a particular responsibility in relation to migrants and refugees, an issue which has been exacerbated by the collapse of the Libyan state. " (Paragraph 105 of https://publications.parliament.uk/…/cms…/cmfaff/119/119.pdf)
It is clear that the UK government agrees with its own responsibility to help these migrants.
But what an earth is being done about it?
Ideally, I think one the solutions should be:
For all countries that are unwilling to accept these migrants to contribute to the creation of 'peace centres'.
'Peace centres' would strive to provide a bed for each migrant within Libya whilst being sustainable in ensuring that migrants can get back to their home countries. Sustainability would be achieved by having an on site lawyers office who will fight to get these people back to their home countries and by allowing residents to work within the centre, by doing chores to support the upkeep of the centre, all of which would be paid work. There will also be education to prevent these people from getting on boats again as it is a risk to their money, safety and well being.
By signing this petition, we can encourage the UK government and other EU countries to do more to improve conditions within Libyan migrant detention centres.
