PRESS RELEASE

Italian Council for Refugees: Initiatives in favour of refugees in Libya

The Italian Council for Refugee (CIR) is starting a collaboration with the Libyan association International Organisation for Peace, Care and Relief (IOPCR), based in Tripoli, with the aim to promote initiatives in favour of refugees and migrants. The President of CIR, Mr. Savino Pezzotta, and the President of IOPCR, Mr. Khaled EL-Khweldi EL-Hamedi, this morning, in Rome signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the two organisations. To this end a delegation from Libya arrived in Rome, composed by the President of IOPCR and 12 members. Some parliamentarians, representatives of the Trade Unions and of Italian humanitarian associations participated in the event organised for the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding.

IOPCR, already implementing partner of UNHCR in Libya, hosted, last December, a delegation of Italian organisations among whim also the Director of CIR, Mr. Christopher Hein. During the mission in Libya the delegation visited also the detention centre based in Misratah where 600 Eritreans are retained.

From the same centre , last November 40 Eritrean refugees were resettled in Italy.

CIR and IOPCR want to widen the humanitarian space for refugees and migrants in Libya, country interested, for years, from mass movements of foreign citizens, particularly from Sub-Saharan Africa . From 2001, in fact, about 80 percent of refugees and asylum seekers arriving in Italy transited through Libya, where, in absence of possibilities of regular arrival in Europe, they embark to reach Lampedusa and the costs of Sicily. 10,5% of the Libyan population is composed of irregular migrants.  Estimates on the presence of irregular foreigners vary from 1 to 2 millions. In 2006, Libyan authorities repatriated 54.000 irregular foreigners; 60.000 foreigner citizens were put under detention in a wide number of centres.

Libya did not sign the International Convention on Refugees, but it is intentioned to issue a law on the right of asylum. Considering the importance that Libya has in the migratory routes and the very difficult conditions that refugees and migrants on the territory or in transit face there, CIR believes  it is of fundamental importance to have the possibility to implement actions supporting refugees and migrants exploiting its 18 years of experience in the field of asylum. In Libya, CIR will work together with UNHCR and IOPCR in their protection and assistance activities.  

“The signature of a memorandum of Understanding with IOPCR is the first step for our initiative in Libya”, said Christopher Hein, “and we are happy to have found a partner on the other side of the Mediterranean, who is committed to humanitarian actions”

Savino Pezzotta added that "the importance of this agreement lies in the fact that two NGOs, two forces of civil society, desire a co-operation to improve migrants and refugees’ conditions in Libya”. EL-Hamedi, finally, underlined the importance of co-operation among international associations and organisations. He has also reminded the co-operation that IOPCR and UNHCR have started in Libya and thanks to it  positive goals and results have already been reached. El-Hamedi informed that, very recently, thanks to their endeavours, the forced repatriation of a number of Eritrean citizens from Libya has been avoided.