The broken safety valve of migration in Libya
Few foresaw the surge of protests that would arise from the Middle East and Africa after Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in 2010.
Tekst: Tore Brecker, head of press ISFiT 2019
The decade began with peaceful protests but soon erupted into a state of violence and social unrest. As angry voices were silenced with bullets, people started to flee from countries in unrest in huge numbers. The refugee crisis caught many European countries off guard. As the numbers of migrants grew, the debate became more fierce and polarized. The continent called elected officials to act. This resulted in the signing of the migration agreement between the European Union and Turkey in 2016. Within one year, the number of «irregular migrants» from Turkey had dropped by 97 percent.
The migration crisis seemed averted from the politicians’ point of view, but the deal had only changed the flow of migration. Making many Europeans forget that there are still people seeking alternative routes to Europe. During the summer, as the weather was getting warmer and the sky cleared up, thousands of people crossed the Mediterranean Sea from Libya every month. Libya has for many become the only viable point of transit, even though the country itself is being torn apart by a civil war. Two years ago more than 180,000 people embarked on the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea to Italy. This is about the same amount of people who live here in Trondheim, Norway’s third largest city. Not everyone makes it to European soil. Sadly the Mediterranean Sea, that many associates with sunny vacations and friendly beaches, has claimed the lives of many migrants. In 2016, 5,143 people were registered either as dead or missing.
The government in Libya is not able to deal with this situation, and smugglers are free to abuse and take advantage of people seeking to travel to Europe. Europol has recently reported that the number of human smugglers has doubled over the last three years. 65,000 human smugglers are under surveillance right now, indicating that it is a highly profitable business. There are not fewer people moving after the deal between Ankara and Brussels. It has just become more difficult and dangerous for migrants to resettle and start a different life than before. One can close off the borders, use military to patrol the frontiers, and even attempt to discourage people with pamphlets not to come to your country. However, the desire and motivation for these people to move away from conflict do not disappear after these measures are implemented.
There are no clear-cut answers on what is the best approach. Migration is a complicated topic with numerous effects on different societies. That is in itself worth discussing. But the situation in Libya is not sustainable. Basic safety, human rights and the decency of people everywhere is something we need to uphold. The student peace prize winner Hajer Sharief and her colleagues’ efforts to rebuild Libya are inspiring. But they can’t do it alone. Every volunteer, every letter to a politician at Stortinget, and every word from us matter in finding a solution. Our suggestions and ideas may be imperfect, but the alternative of not voicing them is worse.
Tore Becker has previously been a part of Under Dusken.
