The urgent need for the protection of migrants and asylum seekers has been emphasised by the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Europe on the occasion of the agreement concluded between the EU and Libya.

A cooperation agreement which still has to be discussed at technical level by experts from the EU, representatives of its member states and Libya, was signed on Monday.

It will be based on projects related to the surveillance of Libya’s borders, the voluntary return of illegal immigrants from Libya to their country of origin and the upgrading of facilities used for asylum seekers in Libya.

“It’s not long ago that Tripoli expelled the UN High Commissioner for Refugees,” Michael Schoepf, regional director of JRS Europe, said

“Persons in urgent need of protection now have nowhere to turn to, as Libya has no national system in place to identify and provide protection to those who need it.

“Just as worrying are the consistent reports of harsh treatment and severe abuse of migrants caught staying in the country illegally or trying to leave without the necessary permission.

“Their needs must be given priority by the EU Commission,” he said.

At a meeting in Mount St Joseph Retreat House in Mosta, directors from JRS offices around Europe confirmed their deep conviction that, unless and until Libya and other countries of transit were truly able and willing to provide effective protection, asylum seekers should urgently be given access to procedures and protection in Europe.

Fr Joseph Cassar, director of JRS Malta, pointed out:

“Otherwise we violate core European and Christian values.”

Border management must never block access to a fair refugee recognition procedure, he said.

The number of asylum seekers arriving in Malta has decreased to a trickle over the past months, prompting calls for increased border controls to ensure that arrivals are kept to a minimum.

“But even if Malta had difficulties in dealing with protection seekers, closing European borders is the wrong answer”, Mr Schoepf emphasised.

“Border control must never be at the cost of human rights. Instead we invite the Maltese government to join efforts to change the EU legal framework.

“The Dublin II regulation must be amended in order to ensure more solidarity among Member States so that other countries accept more asylum seekers who have come to Europe via Malta,” he said.

The meeting also discussed the detention of migrants in Europe.

As a recently published study clearly shows, detention made migrants vulnerable.

“This is even more questionable as alternatives to detention exist,” it concluded.

The directors of the Catholic refugee agency called upon governments to urgently explore and implement such alternatives.

The meeting of the JRS in Europe ends on Sunday morning.

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