Authorities in eastern and western Libya have intensified a crackdown on migrants and refugees in the last month with mass arrests, detentions and expulsions, Amnesty International said on Tuesday, accusing the EU of complicity in abuse.
Libya, where control is split between rival western and eastern factions, has been a major transit route for people fleeing conflict and poverty towards Europe by the dangerous sea route since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising toppled Muammar Gaddafi.
The EU and its member states have long supported and trained the Libyan coastguard, which intercepts migrants at sea. While the EU formally recognizes only the Tripoli-based government, since last year it has also stepped up engagement with the rival authorities in the east.
Amnesty said the crackdown included mass arrests across multiple cities, forced evictions and expulsion of hundreds of migrants, including nationals of war-torn Sudan, without the chance to ask for asylum or challenge their deportation.
“The EU has long bankrolled migration control in Libya with its support to the Libyan Coast Guard, which has already made it complicit in horrific violations and abuses,” said Diana Elahawy, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.
