CANADIAN MEDIA
  • Home Page
  • World News
    • Africa
    • Asia
  • Law
    • Investigative Law
    • National Law/Justice
    • Global Law & Crime prevention
  • Politics
    • Global Politics
    • US Politics
    • National Politics >
      • Alberta
      • British Columbia
      • Quebec
      • Calgary
      • Edmonton
      • Manitoba
      • Ontario
      • Saskatchevan
  • Business
    • Developing countries
    • Global Business >
      • Global Economic Development
    • National Business >
      • Alberta
      • British Columbia
      • Manitoba
  • Health
    • National Health >
      • Alberta
      • British Columbia
      • Manitoba
      • New Brunswick
      • Newfoundland & Labrador
      • North West Territories
      • Nova Scotia
      • Nunavut
      • Ontario
      • Prince Edward Island
      • Quebec
      • Saskatchevan
      • Yukon
    • Global Health
  • Life
    • Arts/Architecture/Archeology
    • Book/Arthur/Movie Reviews
    • Canada-India News
    • Celebration/Observance/Recognition >
      • Global Celebration/Observances/Recognitions
      • National Celebration/Observance/Recognitions
    • Education/Culture/Festivals
    • Entertainment >
      • Intern'l Entertainment/Hollywood
      • NationalEntertainment
      • Entertainment-TIFF
      • Entertainment/Regional/Bollywood Films
    • Food/Nutrition/Agriculture
    • Interviews
    • Libraries/Museums/Archives >
      • Global Libraries/Museums/Archives
      • National Libraries/Museums/Archives >
        • Nat'l Museums PhotoStories
    • Media
    • Sports
    • Travel/Tourism
    • World Cinema
  • Earth
    • Animal issues
    • Astronomy >
      • ESA Photo Stories
      • NASA Photo Stories
      • NASA Videos
    • Biodiversity/Wild Life/Ecosystem
    • Earth Scie/Biotech/Archaeology/Agriculture
    • Environment/Climate Change/Forests
    • Fisheries & Oceans
    • Sci & Res
    • Technology & Innovation
  • Humanitarian
    • Domestic/Sexual Violence
    • FAO of UN
    • First Nations
    • Gender issues >
      • National Gender Issues
      • Global Gender Issues
    • Human Rights/Child rights
    • Human Trafficking
    • Humanitarian Aid
    • Immigration/Refugees/Citizens
    • Floods/Fire/NaturalDisasters/Accidents/Deaths
    • Peace/Security/Gun Violence >
      • Global Peace/Security/Gun Violenece
      • National Peace/Security/Gun Violence
    • Pride Toronto
    • Racial diversity
    • SDGs
    • UN Affairs
    • Women rights
  • Multimedia
    • ILO Videos
    • Lib of Congress Videos
    • News in photos
    • UN Photo Stories
    • UN videos
    • UNHCR Videos
    • Videos
    • WHO Videos
  • NASA Photo Stories

Libya: Renewed commitment to Mediterranean rescues encouraging, but ‘overriding priority’ must be ‘lasting peace’, say UN officials

7/23/2019

0 Comments

 
United Nations, July 23 (Canadian-Media): The heads of the two key UN agencies championing refugees and migrants have called for an end to their “arbitrary detention” across Libya, following an agreement on Tuesday by European Union countries to offer those fleeing across the Mediterranean a safe berth through a new distribution mechanism, UN reports said.
Picture
Third Country Nationals unload baggage from an IOM ship as the boat docks in Libya's Benghazi port. (File). Image Credit: IOM/Nicole Tung
“The violence in Tripoli in recent weeks has made the situation more desperate than ever, and the need for action critical”, stressed António Vitorino, Director General of the International Organization of Migration (IOM), and Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Disagreements on how to distribute people rescued at sea, led the European Union (EU) to end official Mediterranean Sea patrols earlier this year, as Italy rejected having to take the bulk of those rescued.
​
While the specifics have not yet been outlined, news agencies reported that 14 EU countries have reached a tentative agreement to allocate migrants and refugees more evenly across the bloc.

In Paris today, some European states moved closer to a shared, predictable disembarkation mechanism for refugees+migrants arriving across the Mediterranean - now is the time to depoliticize the issue, overcome differences and make practical plans. https://t.co/iQ3oxxKVyc

— Filippo Grandi (@RefugeesChief) July 22, 2019
The UN officials advocated for a more orderly release process for those in detention, within urban areas or open centres, “that allow reasonable freedom of movement, shelter, assistance and protection from harm, plus independent monitoring and regular unhindered access for humanitarian agencies”. 

Considering the risks of abuse, maltreatment or death, “no one should be returned to detention centres in Libya after being intercepted or rescued at sea”, they stressed. 

They said the renewed commitment from EU States for those making the dangerous Mediterranean crossing was encouraging: “The status quo, where search and rescue operations are often left to NGO [non-governmental organizations] or commercial vessels, cannot continue”, underscored the high-ranking officials, calling for a renewed commitment to an EU State search and rescue operation, “similar to programmes we have seen in recent years”. 

The “crucial role” of NGOs “must be acknowledged”, they continued and not criminalized or stigmatized for saving lives at sea.

“Commercial vessels, who are increasingly being relied upon to conduct rescue operations, must not be requested to transfer rescued people to the Libyan Coast Guard, nor directed to disembark them in Libya, which is not a port of safety”, they spelled out. 

They said the discussions on establishing a temporary, predictable arrangement for disembarking people after they have been rescued at sea, and sharing responsibility amongst States for hosting them afterwards, were promising, noting that “a joined-up approach to this situation is in everyone’s interests”.  

No one should be returned to detention centres in Libya after being intercepted or rescued at sea – UN officialsThey both maintained that “brokering a lasting peace in Libya must be the overriding priority”.

In the meantime, evacuations and resettlement away from Libya continue to be a vital lifeline for people facing an immediate threat to their lives.

 “Greater efforts are needed to address why people leave their homes in the first place”, they stated. 

While multiple conflicts in North and Sub-Saharan Africa continue unresolved, and development challenges persist, "some will continue to seek alternatives for themselves and their families”, they said. 
​
“The international community should use any leverage it has to bring the warring parties together in dialogue and establish a political solution that restores stability and security”, concluded the UN officials.  
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Immigration/Refugees/Citizens

    All

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    January 2019
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018

  • Home Page
  • World News
    • Africa
    • Asia
  • Law
    • Investigative Law
    • National Law/Justice
    • Global Law & Crime prevention
  • Politics
    • Global Politics
    • US Politics
    • National Politics >
      • Alberta
      • British Columbia
      • Quebec
      • Calgary
      • Edmonton
      • Manitoba
      • Ontario
      • Saskatchevan
  • Business
    • Developing countries
    • Global Business >
      • Global Economic Development
    • National Business >
      • Alberta
      • British Columbia
      • Manitoba
  • Health
    • National Health >
      • Alberta
      • British Columbia
      • Manitoba
      • New Brunswick
      • Newfoundland & Labrador
      • North West Territories
      • Nova Scotia
      • Nunavut
      • Ontario
      • Prince Edward Island
      • Quebec
      • Saskatchevan
      • Yukon
    • Global Health
  • Life
    • Arts/Architecture/Archeology
    • Book/Arthur/Movie Reviews
    • Canada-India News
    • Celebration/Observance/Recognition >
      • Global Celebration/Observances/Recognitions
      • National Celebration/Observance/Recognitions
    • Education/Culture/Festivals
    • Entertainment >
      • Intern'l Entertainment/Hollywood
      • NationalEntertainment
      • Entertainment-TIFF
      • Entertainment/Regional/Bollywood Films
    • Food/Nutrition/Agriculture
    • Interviews
    • Libraries/Museums/Archives >
      • Global Libraries/Museums/Archives
      • National Libraries/Museums/Archives >
        • Nat'l Museums PhotoStories
    • Media
    • Sports
    • Travel/Tourism
    • World Cinema
  • Earth
    • Animal issues
    • Astronomy >
      • ESA Photo Stories
      • NASA Photo Stories
      • NASA Videos
    • Biodiversity/Wild Life/Ecosystem
    • Earth Scie/Biotech/Archaeology/Agriculture
    • Environment/Climate Change/Forests
    • Fisheries & Oceans
    • Sci & Res
    • Technology & Innovation
  • Humanitarian
    • Domestic/Sexual Violence
    • FAO of UN
    • First Nations
    • Gender issues >
      • National Gender Issues
      • Global Gender Issues
    • Human Rights/Child rights
    • Human Trafficking
    • Humanitarian Aid
    • Immigration/Refugees/Citizens
    • Floods/Fire/NaturalDisasters/Accidents/Deaths
    • Peace/Security/Gun Violence >
      • Global Peace/Security/Gun Violenece
      • National Peace/Security/Gun Violence
    • Pride Toronto
    • Racial diversity
    • SDGs
    • UN Affairs
    • Women rights
  • Multimedia
    • ILO Videos
    • Lib of Congress Videos
    • News in photos
    • UN Photo Stories
    • UN videos
    • UNHCR Videos
    • Videos
    • WHO Videos
  • NASA Photo Stories