Italy ‘in breach of treaties’ by sending refugees to Libya

ITALY is in breach of the EU treaties by returning refugees to Libya without even investigating their claim to asylum, the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) has said.

They warn against a proposal coming before EU justice ministers today that could see member states generally agreeing to such a policy, using camps in Libya and other north African countries.

They are especially worried about migrants being returned to Libya as they say it is unsafe for them, since Libya never signed the United Nations Refugee Convention, has no asylum procedure and has a very dubious human rights record.

Director of the Italian Council for Refugees Christopher Hein, who has visited some of the camps in Libya says many are not fit for humans. People can be detained indefinitely, are abused by police, have nobody to appeal to either to get out or when they are raped or abused and can be returned home without first establishing whether its safe.

Italy, Greece and Malta are pushing for agreement on a new asylum policy that would see holding camps set up in north Africa as they are taking the brunt of the migration from Africa.

Last year 37,000 migrants arrived in Italy. But the Refugee Council, ECRE, pointed out that over half were granted asylum after cases were investigated.