UNHCR worried about migrants returned to Libya
Libya orders UN refugee agency to leave country
The UN's refugee agency has expressed concern about a group of 20 Eritreans who were returned to Libya after their boat was intercepted "in or near" Malta's search and rescue area.
The boat, with a seven-month-old child and three women among those on board, was intercepted by a Libyan patrol boat about 40 nautical miles from Lampedusa in an area the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees believes could have been in Malta's search and rescue zone.
A spokesman for the Ministry For Justice and Home Affairs said, however, that in this case, the Maltese government had met the international obligations it has with regards to its search and rescue region to the fullest extent possible, as it had always done.
UNHCR spokesman Melissa Fleming said: "We are concerned about their access to international protection in Libya, which is not a signatory state to the 1951 convention and has no domestic asylum system."
In 2008, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had agreed that immigrants intercepted in international waters would be returned to Libya. Malta never officially subscribed to this policy.
The interception of the boat by Libyan officials on Monday took place in spite of the fact that UNHCR had relayed calls by the people on board "to Maltese and Italian vessels" some "24 hours before" they were picked up.
Early on Monday morning, the migrants had twice phoned relatives in Italy, using a satellite phone, saying their dinghy was sinking.
A commercial freighter sent to the area - at the edge of Libyan waters - found no trace of the boat and a search by an Armed Forces of Malta aircraft also proved negative. It then transpired that the migrants were intercepted by a Libyan patrol boat, which took them to shore.
Meanwhile Libyan authorities have ordered the UN refugee agency to shut its office in Libya and leave the country, Ms Fleming said yesterday.
"We have not been given any reason by Libyan authorities why we should leave," said Ms Fleming.
In a statement yesterday, Libya said it had ordered the closure because Tripoli was not a signatory to the Geneva Convention on refugees and, therefore, did not recognise the UN agency's office in Tripoli. It added that Libya had not signed a cooperation agreement with the refugee agency either. In 2001, it had authorised the appointment of a UNHCR representative to Libya whose mission "was limited to solving a particular problem."
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Patrick Sacco
Jun 11th 2010, 12:49
Maltese authorities should order the UN refugee agency to shut its office in Malta and leave the country.
Evarist Saliba
Jun 10th 2010, 15:39
@ Sean Grima
May I assure you that I did check the facts before I wrote, and it is you who have not checked carefully what I have written.
If the UNHCR is concerned about the treatment of persons living illegally in Libya, and I am not challenging this, it should not have linked this with this particular episode. Do not forget that the statement followed another, also by the UNHCR, criticising Malta for, allegedly, not acting quickly enough.
In my long experience with the UN Office in Geneva, I have learnt that the R in the acronym UNHCR stands for "refugees", a status well defined in international law. There are other international organisations with the letter M in their title, and this stands for "migration", which is a totally different matter.
What Malta is facing is illegal migration. When this is followed by refugee status, our performance is such that we have nothing to be ashemed of.
Sean Grima
Jun 11th 2010, 08:42
you are wrong. the legal definition of "refugee" is very limited - basically meaning someone who is being persecuted. most of the asylum seekers here are granted humanitarian protection status, and, consequently, are not illegal immigrants.
leaving aside political and legal considerations, these are human beings, not a sack of potatoes to be shunted to and fro.
Evarist Saliba
Jun 11th 2010, 12:28
Your comments do not reflect well on you.
In which way did anything that I wrote could possibly mean that I implied that any human being deserves to be treated like a sack of potatoes?
I have no time to waste on a person like you who stoops so low to bolster his weak arguments.
Sean Grima
Jun 11th 2010, 15:18
i did not say that you implied they should be treated like a sack of potatoes.
what i am attacking is your definition of these people as illegal immigrants, when, statistically, the vast majority qualify for refugee status or humanitarian protection, according to law. to describe someone who has been granted humanitarian protection as an illegal immigrant is a twisting of the facts.
Sean Grima
Jun 9th 2010, 16:08
the usual spate of comments trying to discredit an international institution whose purpose is to protect vulenrable people, irrespective of political or economical considerations.
Evarist Saliba
Jun 9th 2010, 13:33
This is very disquieting.
Illegal migrants in a boat phone for help claiming that their boat is sinking. They cannot be traced by a freighter and AFM aircraft. Twenty-four hours later the boat is still afloat and its occupants are saved by a Libyan boat which takes them back to Libya. The UNHCR is very concerned about this on the grounds that this country is not a signatory to the 1951 Convention.
Does this not mean that the UNHR is encouraging illegal migration out of Libya by people who have not claimed any refugee status?
Does this fall within the competence of the UNHCR?
Sean Grima
Jun 9th 2010, 13:53
as a an ex diplomat, i would have thought that you would check the facts before shooting. the UNHCR is concerned about the treatment these people will get in Libya. human considerations come before any legal, political or economic considerations.
Wilfred Camilleri
Jun 9th 2010, 14:55
The UNHRC is another in a series of ineffective and money-wasting UN agencies that is controlled by Left leaning individuals. This agency should be disbanded. If the UN really wants to help illegal immigrants, they should go to their country of origin and fix the corruption and human right abuses there. The dictators who run many of these countries are the primary cause for the suffering of these people who then flee their country and become refugees.
Joseph V. Grech
Jun 9th 2010, 12:56
@ Ms. Fleming, UNHCR spokewoman
I believe Libya is angry at the unjustified criticism it has been receiving concerning its handling of the illegals entering its national territory....from UNHCR, JRS...etc.
Libya probably believes - quite rightly - the United Nations High Commission for Refugees is a big joke that's not dealing with this important issue in a practical manner.
UNHCR seems to believe those irresponsible folk who get on a boat, abandon their own country and head to Europe on a purely economic mission should be dealt with as real asylum seekers and not simply returned to their own country. How silly and irresponsible of this agency!
UNHCR employees (yourself foremost) have only one concern - their well paid job. Stop pestering us Maltese with your ridiculous worries please!
In a statement yesterday, Libya said it had ordered the closure because Tripoli was not a signatory to the Geneva Convention on refugees and, therefore, did not recognise the UN agency's office in Tripoli. It added that Libya had not signed a cooperation agreement with the refugee agency either. In 2001, it had authorised the appointment of a UNHCR representative to Libya whose mission "was limited to solving a particular problem."
Louise Vella
Jun 9th 2010, 12:26
UNHCR’s attitude can be seen from the press statement “UNHCR questions delays in rescue-at-sea operations off Malta” available on http://www.unhcr.org/4c0e33b66.html. It says that “Malta and Italy have high recognition rates for Eritreans.” This should qualify Malta and Italy for praise by UNHCR, as it means that we give refugee status to many Eritreans. Instead UNHCR uses the argument to blame us. As we give refugee status to many, UNHCR argues that we should give it to all the Eritreans that are or may be in Libya, or indeed in Eritrea. Please, UNHCR, can you tell us how many millions of Eritreans you expect Malta to take as refugees?
Sean Grima
Jun 10th 2010, 08:18
one would think you are housing all refugees yourself.
Louise Vella
Jun 9th 2010, 12:20
"UNHCR had relayed calls"!!! Has UNHCR become a link in the chain of human traffickers?
Sean Grima
Jun 10th 2010, 08:18
you should be ashamed to make such an allegation!
James A. Tyrrell
Jun 9th 2010, 11:39
If the UNHCR are so concerned about these 20 Eritreans who were returned to Libya then I’m sure they could make room for them in their nice Geneva headquarters. It would hardly make much of a dent in their US$2 billion budget.
lgalea
Jun 9th 2010, 11:28
STOP INTERFERING IN OUR INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND TAKE ALL OUR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.