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THE SOARING DEATH toll and abuses faced by thousands of refugees and migrants in Libyan detention centres are “clearly linked to failing EU policies”, Amnesty International has said in a report published today.
The not-for-profit groups report, A perfect storm: The failure of European policies in the Central Mediterranean, finds that by giving most of the responsibility for search and rescue operations to NGOs.
Last week, Italy threatened to close its ports to foreign ships in an attempt to encourage the EU to react to the migrant crisis. Italy and Greece, two member states that are already struggling financially, are taking the bulk of the burden.
Since 2014, the Italian coast guard has coordinated the rescue of over 590,000 migrants, while over 14,000 have died or are feared drowned.
“We are facing a tragedy of incredible dimensions… (but) the solution is not at sea,” Italian coast guard head Vincenzo Melone said.
“European states have progressively turned their backs on a search and rescue strategy that was reducing mortality at sea in favour of one that has seen thousands drown and left desperate men, women and children trapped in Libya, exposed to horrific abuses,” said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International’s Europe Director.
Migrants’ accounts
One Nigerian man stranded with 140 others on a boat that was taking on water for nine hours told Amnesty International.
All of us were praying. When I saw the lights [of the rescue boat] I thought: please, please, not the Libyan police.
A Bangladeshi man told Amnesty International what happened after he had been picked up by the Libyan coastguard.
“We were 170, on a rubber boat. We were taken back to prison and we were asked for more money. They told us: ‘If you pay, nobody will stop you this time, because we are the coastguard’… Libyan prisons are just hell.”
One man from Gambia told Amnesty International:
“I spent three months in prison… You sleep like sardines in the cell, on your side, because there is no space. They beat you if you do not lie down in the right way. The water for the toilet was also for drinking… I saw three people being tortured while I was in prison. One boy died during [the] torture.”
Dalhuisen is worried that the situation is only going to get worse if something doesn’t change.
“If the second half of this year continues as the first and urgent action is not taken, 2017 looks set to become the deadliest year for the deadliest migration route in the world.
“The EU must rethink its cooperation with Libya’s woefully dysfunctional coastguard and deploy more vessels where they are desperately needed,” he said.
- With reporting from AFP.
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Good to see progress in this at last
More glass square blocks going up. No creative architects left in Ireland?
Really? I think the new buildings look great: http://img2.thejournal.ie/inline/1811683/original/?width=630&version=1811683
Paul they’re a good design but not tall enough for such a prime part of town.
They do look good, but as soon as those wooden panels get neglected they will look shabby. You see it all over the city with them. That place across from the Merrion gates looks like a kip due to the state of them over the past 7-10 years.
Fair point about the Elm Park site at Merrion gates but that’s not timber on the elevation…its terracotta (if I recall correctly from the planning application)
is there any chance they will demolish liberty hall next?
They are trying to replace it but so far have been refused planning
Many fond memories photographing the city on the roof of the old Silo’s. They will not be missed and I look forward to seeing what replaces them.
I don’t think it is finished when i looked in there yesterday there was still standing walls from the old silos as well as a huge amount of rubble sitting there.
Good to see progress. The only pity is the lack of height in probably the most prime commercial location in the city. They could easily justify sleek 25 storey towers there.
You don’t know what your talking about, the huge piles of rubble is the concrete from the silos that has been crushed for recycling , and the walls still standing are nothing to do with the silos
A “demolition” job is finished when the job is brought down to ground level with no rubble remaining. I saw half a wall standing on the north side of the site with equipment in there still breaking up the rubble.
So u work at demolition then Fred lol, you don’t know what your taking about
We should contact the local councilors and complain about the buildings being too short: http://www.dublincity.ie/main-menu-your-council-your-city-councillors-find-your-local-councillors/south-east-area-councillors.
Why are they building low rise? Stupid and bad landing. There should be high rise towers going up in that part of the city
From Grand Canal Dock you can see the Aviva from outside Fresh through the gap. It’s a point of view that will only exist for a short time.
During the Easter Rising Boland’s Mills was seized by members of the 3rd Battalion of the Irish Volunteers led by Éamon De Valera: perhaps as few as 100-130 poorly armed Volunteers were involved and was to serve as the headquarters of the Volunteers in a large region of Dublin’s south inner city.
Is it too sunny for a protest?
No, but I’d say it’s a bit late!
The silos were built in the 1950s
It’s always too sunny for a protest in the wrong place. .. the site you refer to is up at grand canal street
Didn’t stop the SF Moore Street protestors demanding a non-existent building on Moore st. in 1916 being protected.
So I don’t think you have a valid point.
Ugly Concrete Silos from the 1950s, I dont think anyone will mourn them . Some of the stone buildings near the front are being incorporated into the design that they date back to the rising
I think he does have a valid point considering the building that you are thinking of isn’t even on the same street.
Dev occupied Boland’s bakery, a site which is now occupied by The Treasury Building.
You know that the Bolands Mills of 1916 is on Grand Canal Street where the NTMA now is?
How many times Lord oh Lord dies this have to be pointed out???
Should have been preserved, great men fought there
Ideal site for social housing..
There’s too much social housing in the city center. Put them out in the suburbs.
have your say