Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has warned that the lives of both Libyans and migrants have been put in danger by clashes in recent days in Tripoli and called on European governments to acknowledge that Libya is unsafe.
Clashes in recent days in the Libyan city of Tripoli have put the lives of residents and migrants in serious danger, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) have said. The group has issued a statement reiterating that Libya is not a safe country and urging European governments to ''acknowledge their responsibility to help the most vulnerable people trapped in Libya''.
Lives of 8,000 migrants 'further jeopardised'
MSF said that the clashes, which broke out on August 26, involve rival armed groups in the Libyan capital. Heavy fighting in residential areas has caused an unspecified number of victims and further jeopardised the lives of about 8,000 refugees, asylum seekers and migrants trapped and arbitrarily detained in the city's detention centers. The organization says that some of them have trapped for over 48 hours in an area affected by heavy shelling without any access to food. Others who were released had no choice but to flee to nearby neighborhoods where they were at risk of being caught in the crossfire.
"The recent fighting demonstrates that Libya is not a safe place for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers," said Ibrahim Younis, MSF's head of mission in Libya. "Many have fled from war-torn countries or have spent months in horrible conditions, while being held by human traffickers before they were put in these closed detention centres. These people are already extremely vulnerable, and now they find themselves trapped in yet another conflict without the ability to escape. They should not be held captive simply because they were looking for safety or a better life. They should be immediately released and evacuated to a country where they will be safe.''
'Europe must acknowledge that Libya is not a place of safety'
"Since the fighting broke out, the humanitarian needs in and outside the detention centres have grown from already alarming levels,'' the statement said. ''According to UNHCR, nearly half of all people held in detention centres are refugees from conflict regions, including Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan. While these people are entitled to protection under international law, the Libyan authorities, governments of safe countries and the UN have failed to establish an effective mechanism for processing asylum claims. European countries have even established policies that prevent asylum seekers from leaving Libya.''
These policies ''prevent people from crossing the Mediterranean by having the European-sponsored Libyan coastguard return people rescued at sea to Libyan shores.'' MSF thus ''calls on European governments to acknowledge that Libya is not a place of safety. More must be done to help people trapped within its borders to find a safe and dignified way out.