Latest news with #TarekMegerisi
Euronews
6 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Should the European Union hold talks with Khalifa Haftar?
European Commissioner for Migration Magnus Brunner and three ministers from EU countries were expelled from Libya on Tuesday due to a "protocol problem", according to Brussels. Sources told Euronews the issue arose after they wanted to meet General Khalifa Haftar, who controls large parts of eastern Libya. Following a meeting with the Libyan government of national unity (GNU) in Tripoli, the European delegation was scheduled to meet with Haftar in Benghazi to discuss migration. However, Haftar apparently tried to force the EU's hand by imposing the presence of his ministers, which then led to the expulsion of European officials as "personae no gratae". "It was simply a ruse on Haftar's part to try and legitimise his government and the civilian face of his military dictatorship", says Tarek Megerisi, senior researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). "He declared European diplomats personae non gratae and essentially sent them back to Europe because he was unable to use them for this political charade he was trying to pull off," he believes. A divided country After the civil war and the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya eventually became divided into two. In the west of the country, the UN-recognised government of national unity is led by Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dbeibah. The east is controlled by Haftar, head of the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army. And Brussels formally recognises only the government in Tripoli. "The European Union is working with the government of national unity, which emerged from the United Nations mediation process as an internationally recognised national executive. The UN is engaging with the authorities throughout the country in line with our One Libya policy", said Anouar El Anouni, European Commission spokesman for foreign affairs. However, faced with the absence of centralised governance, territorial division and the challenge of migration, the EU is also engaging with non-state actors. "At a lower level, the EU is also interacting with militia leaders and groups running detention centres. At the level of member states and some EU representation, they engage with the Haftar family as the de facto rulers of eastern Libya, for what they claim is political realism," says Tarek Megerisi. The European Union is cooperating with Libya to combat illegal immigration and smuggling networks. "The EU has been working, both the EU and the member states, particularly Italy, with the Libyan coastguard in the west to try and reduce migratory flows in one way or another," James Moran, former EU ambassador to Libya and associate researcher at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), told Euronews. "The EU has also supported Libyan efforts to take back migrants once they are back on Libyan soil. This, of course, has been controversial because there have been a lot of questions about human rights, about the treatment they receive when they are in Libya," he adds. The NGO Amnesty International has accused Brussels of complicity in human rights violations against migrants in Libya. A Russian proxy In recent years, crossings to Europe from eastern Libya have been on the increase. "Migration concerns are well known throughout Europe. And since (Haftar) controls such a large part of Libya's coastline, I think it was logical to talk to him," Moran said. "What wouldn't have made sense would have been to give him any kind of recognition, de facto or otherwise," he explained. However, questions remain about the EU's need to meet Haftar, whose links to Moscow and President Vladimir Putin are well-established. "We are in the process of strengthening a Russian proxy that is antagonistic to European interests. And so, once all the mess of the current crisis is sorted out, it's pretty clear that what Europe really needs in Libya is a stable and sovereign government," Megerisi told Euronews. In fact, the Haftar family is exploiting migration to try to obtain concessions from the EU, according to Megerisi. In recent days, the Greek islands have seen a large influx of migrants from Libya, prompting the EU member state to suspend asylum applications from the North African country.
Euronews
6 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
hould the European Union hold talks with Khalifa Haftar?
European Commissioner for Migration Magnus Brunner and three ministers from EU countries were expelled from Libya on Tuesday due to a "protocol problem", according to Brussels. Sources told Euronews the issue arose after they wanted to meet General Khalifa Haftar, who controls large parts of eastern Libya. Following a meeting with the Libyan government of national unity (GNU) in Tripoli, the European delegation was scheduled to meet with Haftar in Benghazi to discuss migration. However, Haftar apparently tried to force the EU's hand by imposing the presence of his ministers, which then led to the expulsion of European officials as "personae no gratae". "It was simply a ruse on Haftar's part to try and legitimise his government and the civilian face of his military dictatorship", says Tarek Megerisi, senior researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). "He declared European diplomats personae non gratae and essentially sent them back to Europe because he was unable to use them for this political charade he was trying to pull off," he believes. A divided country After the civil war and the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya eventually became divided into two. In the west of the country, the UN-recognised government of national unity is led by Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dbeibah. The east is controlled by Haftar, head of the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army. And Brussels formally recognises only the government in Tripoli. "The European Union is working with the government of national unity, which emerged from the United Nations mediation process as an internationally recognised national executive. The UN is engaging with the authorities throughout the country in line with our One Libya policy", said Anouar El Anouni, European Commission spokesman for foreign affairs. However, faced with the absence of centralised governance, territorial division and the challenge of migration, the EU is also engaging with non-state actors. "At a lower level, the EU is also interacting with militia leaders and groups running detention centres. At the level of member states and some EU representation, they engage with the Haftar family as the de facto rulers of eastern Libya, for what they claim is political realism," says Tarek Megerisi. The European Union is cooperating with Libya to combat illegal immigration and smuggling networks. "The EU has been working, both the EU and the member states, particularly Italy, with the Libyan coastguard in the west to try and reduce migratory flows in one way or another," James Moran, former EU ambassador to Libya and associate researcher at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), told Euronews. "The EU has also supported Libyan efforts to take back migrants once they are back on Libyan soil. This, of course, has been controversial because there have been a lot of questions about human rights, about the treatment they receive when they are in Libya," he adds. The NGO Amnesty International has accused Brussels of complicity in human rights violations against migrants in Libya. A Russian proxy In recent years, crossings to Europe from eastern Libya have been on the increase. "Migration concerns are well known throughout Europe. And since (Haftar) controls such a large part of Libya's coastline, I think it was logical to talk to him," Moran said. "What wouldn't have made sense would have been to give him any kind of recognition, de facto or otherwise," he explained. However, questions remain about the EU's need to meet Haftar, whose links to Moscow and President Vladimir Putin are well-established. "We are in the process of strengthening a Russian proxy that is antagonistic to European interests. And so, once all the mess of the current crisis is sorted out, it's pretty clear that what Europe really needs in Libya is a stable and sovereign government," Megerisi told Euronews. In fact, the Haftar family is exploiting migration to try to obtain concessions from the EU, according to Megerisi. In recent days, the Greek islands have seen a large influx of migrants from Libya, prompting the EU member state to suspend asylum applications from the North African country.
The Independent
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Reports of Trump deportation plans highlight abuse of migrants in Libya
Reports of plans to deport migrants from the U.S. to Libya, a country with a documented history of serious human rights violations and abuse of migrants, have spotlighted the difficulties they face in the lawless North African nation. Migrants in Libya are routinely arbitrarily detained and placed in squalid detention centers where they are subjected to extortion, abuse, rape and killings. A U.N.-backed, independent fact-finding mission found evidence that crimes against humanity had been committed against migrants in Libya. Victims were subjected to enslavement, forced disappearance, torture and murder, among other crimes, the investigators found. Dead migrants have been found in mass graves across the country, while tens of thousands of others have drowned trying to escape Libya on smugglers' boats. 'It's hell on earth for migrants,' said Tarek Megerisi, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. 'All they will have are different forms of abuse — if they are lucky enough, they will end up on a rickety boat in the Mediterranean,' added Megerisi, who is Libyan. A fractured country ruled by militias Libya plunged into chaos after a 2011 NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The country split, with rival administrations in the east and west backed by a web of rogue militias. 'Their main business model is smuggling, and people smuggling is a major part of that,' Megerisi said. Both the Tripoli-based government of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and its rival administration in eastern Libya controlled by military commander Khalifa Hifter have denied signing a deportation deal with the Trump administration. Some 800,000 migrants seeking work or who have fled war in their home countries live in Libya, according to the International Organization for Migration. Each year, thousands attempt the dangerous Mediterranean crossing from the North African country to Europe. Despite documented abuses in Libya, the European Union and Italy have for years funded, trained and equipped Libyan groups, including the coast guard, to stop migrants from reaching European shores. Abuse and extortion in migrant detention centers Migrants intercepted at sea or elsewhere in Libya are subject to arbitrary detention and extortion in centers run by armed groups that are either affiliated with state authorities or are autonomous, said Mehdi Ben Youssef, program lead at Lawyers for Justice in Libya. Those groups extort migrants for money in exchange for release — only for them to be captured again by another armed group, detained and tortured. Ben Youssef said those who could be deported from the U.S. to Libya 'would be highly exposed to cycles of crimes.' In detention centers, migrants are tortured and kept in 'horrific conditions,' lacking legal representation and proper access to water and health care, Ben Youssef said. Families outside Libya are blackmailed with cellphone videos of their relatives being tortured to pay varying sums for their release — payments that often offer no real guarantee of freedom. A 2019 Associated Press investigation found that huge sums of EU funds meant to improve conditions for migrants ended up in the hands of militiamen, traffickers and coast guard members who exploited migrants in this cycle of catch and release. Restrictions hinder groups in Libya from aiding migrants Last month, Libya's Internal Security Agency ordered 10 international aid organizations to suspend operations and close offices, accusing the groups of violating local laws by providing aid to African migrants, touting a 'replacement' conspiracy theory and resulting in more targeting of Black migrants. Those groups were already operating in a 'highly restrictive environment' amid numerous crackdowns on civil society, Ben Youssef said. Black migrants, and especially non-Arabs, face abuse such as forced labor and extortion more so than migrants of other nationalities, a humanitarian worker in Libya told The AP. Attorneys said Wednesday that U.S. authorities informed some migrants of plans to deport them to Libya. That is troubling because it sends the message Libya is safe when it's not, said the worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. The worker's team, which travels to reach vulnerable communities, helps with food distribution and provides psychosocial support, has been hindered since Libya ordered aid agencies to suspend operations. Libya is 'not a safe country for migrants," and the order made the situation worse, said Claudia Lodesani, who heads Doctors Without Borders' programs for Libya. Libyan authorities have ordered private medical clinics collaborating with the group not to respond to migrants' health needs. 'Our organization is very concerned about the consequences these orders will have on the health of migrant people in Libya,' Lodesani said. More questions than answers For now, there are still more questions than answers on whether deportations to Libya would actually take place. A U.S. judge said Wednesday that migrants can't be deported without a chance to challenge such a move in court. 'What would happen to people once they land in Libya? ... Would they be detained?' asked Camille Le Coz, who leads the European branch of the Migration Policy Institute think tank. She noted that Libya has a very restrictive asylum procedure, recognizing refugees from only a handful of nationalities. 'This type of operation is expensive, it's difficult to set up, and so, we can speculate that it might be to show that if you get to the U.S. you might be sent to this place that is extremely dangerous for migrant populations and that this may deter people from coming," Le Coz said. ___ Brito reported from Barcelona, Spain.
Associated Press
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Reports of Trump deportation plans highlight abuse of migrants in Libya
CAIRO (AP) — Reports of plans to deport migrants from the U.S. to Libya, a country with a documented history of serious human rights violations and abuse of migrants, have spotlighted the difficulties they face in the lawless North African nation. Migrants in Libya are routinely arbitrarily detained and placed in squalid detention centers where they are subjected to extortion, abuse, rape and killings. A U.N.-backed, independent fact-finding mission found evidence that crimes against humanity had been committed against migrants in Libya. Victims were subjected to enslavement, forced disappearance, torture and murder, among other crimes, the investigators found. Dead migrants have been found in mass graves across the country, while tens of thousands of others have drowned trying to escape Libya on smugglers' boats. 'It's hell on earth for migrants,' said Tarek Megerisi, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. 'All they will have are different forms of abuse — if they are lucky enough, they will end up on a rickety boat in the Mediterranean,' added Megerisi, who is Libyan. A fractured country ruled by militias Libya plunged into chaos after a 2011 NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The country split, with rival administrations in the east and west backed by a web of rogue militias. 'Their main business model is smuggling, and people smuggling is a major part of that,' Megerisi said. Both the Tripoli-based government of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and its rival administration in eastern Libya controlled by military commander Khalifa Hifter have denied signing a deportation deal with the Trump administration. Some 800,000 migrants seeking work or who have fled war in their home countries live in Libya, according to the International Organization for Migration. Each year, thousands attempt the dangerous Mediterranean crossing from the North African country to Europe. Despite documented abuses in Libya, the European Union and Italy have for years funded, trained and equipped Libyan groups, including the coast guard, to stop migrants from reaching European shores. Abuse and extortion in migrant detention centers Migrants intercepted at sea or elsewhere in Libya are subject to arbitrary detention and extortion in centers run by armed groups that are either affiliated with state authorities or are autonomous, said Mehdi Ben Youssef, program lead at Lawyers for Justice in Libya. Those groups extort migrants for money in exchange for release — only for them to be captured again by another armed group, detained and tortured. Ben Youssef said those who could be deported from the U.S. to Libya 'would be highly exposed to cycles of crimes.' In detention centers, migrants are tortured and kept in 'horrific conditions,' lacking legal representation and proper access to water and health care, Ben Youssef said. Families outside Libya are blackmailed with cellphone videos of their relatives being tortured to pay varying sums for their release — payments that often offer no real guarantee of freedom. A 2019 Associated Press investigation found that huge sums of EU funds meant to improve conditions for migrants ended up in the hands of militiamen, traffickers and coast guard members who exploited migrants in this cycle of catch and release. Restrictions hinder groups in Libya from aiding migrants Last month, Libya's Internal Security Agency ordered 10 international aid organizations to suspend operations and close offices, accusing the groups of violating local laws by providing aid to African migrants, touting a 'replacement' conspiracy theory and resulting in more targeting of Black migrants. Those groups were already operating in a 'highly restrictive environment' amid numerous crackdowns on civil society, Ben Youssef said. Black migrants, and especially non-Arabs, face abuse such as forced labor and extortion more so than migrants of other nationalities, a humanitarian worker in Libya told The AP. Attorneys said Wednesday that U.S. authorities informed some migrants of plans to deport them to Libya. That is troubling because it sends the message Libya is safe when it's not, said the worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. The worker's team, which travels to reach vulnerable communities, helps with food distribution and provides psychosocial support, has been hindered since Libya ordered aid agencies to suspend operations. Libya is 'not a safe country for migrants,' and the order made the situation worse, said Claudia Lodesani, who heads Doctors Without Borders' programs for Libya. Libyan authorities have ordered private medical clinics collaborating with the group not to respond to migrants' health needs. 'Our organization is very concerned about the consequences these orders will have on the health of migrant people in Libya,' Lodesani said. More questions than answers For now, there are still more questions than answers on whether deportations to Libya would actually take place. A U.S. judge said Wednesday that migrants can't be deported without a chance to challenge such a move in court. 'What would happen to people once they land in Libya? ... Would they be detained?' asked Camille Le Coz, who leads the European branch of the Migration Policy Institute think tank. She noted that Libya has a very restrictive asylum procedure, recognizing refugees from only a handful of nationalities. 'This type of operation is expensive, it's difficult to set up, and so, we can speculate that it might be to show that if you get to the U.S. you might be sent to this place that is extremely dangerous for migrant populations and that this may deter people from coming,' Le Coz said. ___ Brito reported from Barcelona, Spain. ___ Follow AP's global migration coverage at
