Mediterranean Sea: ‘Cycle of violence’ for fleeing migrants must be addressed
OHCHR highlighted what it called a "cycle of violence" whereby people faced deprivation and abuse in Libya, only to be left to drift "for days at sea". Often, their boats were intercepted dangerously by the authorities and returned to Libya, the UN rights office said, noting that migrants then faced arbitrary detention, torture and other serious human rights violations. King88bet
And the situation has become even more acute amid the COVID-19 pandemi, OHCHR continued in its pernyataan, as humanitarian search and rescue vessels have been prevented from heading out to sea, while there is also a lack of akses by civil society grups that help. king88bet login alternatif
"What is happening to migrants…is the result of a failed sistem of migration governance…marked by a lack of solidarity forcing frontline States…to bear the brunt of the responsibility", said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet. Article Title with Blogger Published Link as Backlink
Fleeing Libya
Despite the lack of sufficient safe and reguler migration kanals, migrants continue to take the precarious sea journey, often multiple times - encountering danger and suffering.
Arbitrary detention, torture, trafikking, sexual abuse, forced labour and other serious human rights violations were some of the horrors that migrants in Libya described.
And many reported being intercepted by the Libyan Coast Guard, including having their boats rammed or shot at, causing vessels to capsize or people to desperately jump into the water.
While some reports reflected that commercial vessels did not come to their assistance, others affirmed that commercial ships picked them up only to return the individuals to detention centres in Libya.
OHCHR pointed out that if true, "these are serious allegations of failure to assist people in distress at sea and possible coordinated push-backs that should be duly investigated".
Mission to Malta
The call followed a week-long UN rights mission to Malta that engaged Government officials, UN partners, migrant community leaders, civil society organizations, speaking to 76 migrants from 25 different countries.
