A report alleges the EU is complicit in the trafficking of Sub-Saharan migrants in Tunisia, sold to Libyan gangs for as little as £10 each. The investigation by humanitarian groups highlights the systematic operation involving Tunisian authorities who apprehend migrants. The report details severe human rights abuses, particularly against women, and implicates European governments in these violations through funding and policy decisions aimed at curbing migration.
A recent report has accused the European Union of complicity in the trafficking of Sub-Saharan migrants in Tunisia, asserting that individuals can be sold to Libyan gangs for as little as £10. Conducted by several humanitarian organizations, the investigation highlights a systematic operation in which Tunisian authorities apprehend migrants and subsequently transfer them across the border. Women are often sold at significantly higher prices, reaching up to £75, due to their exploitation in sex trafficking.
The report, titled “State Trafficking: Expulsion and Sale of Migrants from Tunisia to Libya,” profoundly illustrates the harsh realities facing these individuals. Notably, captured migrants are termed “black gold” by both Tunisian police and Libyan militias, evoking memories of the transatlantic slave trade. Migrants shared harrowing testimonies of being treated as commodities, with one stating, “They sold us to the Libyans. I really mean buying and selling, like for objects, they sold us like slaves.”
Conditions within Libyan detention camps are described as dire. A 30-year-old Cameroonian migrant conveyed the abhorrent living situation, noting, “Prison in Libya is hell, it’s hell. The water to drink is salty. There are no toilets. You eat in the same place where you st.” Reports indicate that many suffer severe physical abuse, such as beatings and torture, while being held captive.
Italy has played a significant role in this crisis, reportedly spending nearly £62.8 million since 2017 on training and equipping Tunisian border guards. This effort aimed to reduce migrant crossings from North Africa to Italy, achieving a reported 59 percent decrease that has been praised by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. However, such agreements with Tunisia have led to serious concerns regarding the human rights violations occurring as a result.
The troubling allegations assert that European governments share culpability for the violence faced by countless migrants and refugees in Tunisia. A Guinean migrant asserted, “European governments are complicit in the violence and torture inflicted on tens of thousands of refugees and migrants in Tunisia.” The stark realities presented in this report highlight the urgent need for policy reassessment and humanitarian response.
The issue of migrant trafficking from Sub-Saharan Africa to Europe has escalated dramatically in recent years, with reports of widespread human rights violations. The EU and individual nations, such as Italy, have formed agreements with countries like Tunisia to detain and return migrants, ostensibly to curb illegal crossings. However, these policies often result in migrants facing severe abuse and exploitation, particularly from criminal organizations operating in Libya, where detention conditions are notoriously brutal. Such practices have raised ethical concerns regarding the complicity of European governments in these humanitarian crises.
The report on the trafficking of Sub-Saharan migrants reveals a disturbing reality where the EU’s agreements with Tunisia have facilitated human rights violations. Migrants endure unthinkable conditions and exploitation at the hands of authorities and traffickers. The need for a critical evaluation of European migration policies is evident, as many continue to suffer violence and abuse while seeking safety and refuge. This calls for immediate international action to address and rectify these ongoing injustices.
Original Source: www.gbnews.com
