Migrant Rescue Watch: May 2020

Friday, May 22, 2020

Qanfoudah Immigration Detention Center repatriates 236 migrants

* Libya 11.04.20 - On orders of LNA General Command and Ministry of Interior 236 migrants incl. 8 women and 1 child stranded at Qanfoudah Immigration Detention Center were transferred to Kufra Immigration and Deportation Center and are scheduled for repatriation to their respective countries. Nationality of migrants: Chad, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Somalia and Sudan.

______

#SAR #LibyanCoastguard #migrants #migrantcrisis #TogetherForRescue #Frontex #Seenotrettung #LibyscheKüstenwache #wirschickeneinschiff #SeaWatch #OpenArms #OceanViking #AlanKurdi #together4rescue #UNHCR

Malta Government accuses NGOs of facilitating smugglers' business model

* Malta 10.04.20 - Malta Government: "NGOs operations in the Mediterranean facilitate directly or indirectly the business model of people smugglers!

Source: https://foreignandeu.gov.mt/en/Government/Press%20Releases/Pages/Malta-should-not-carry-the-burden-of-migrant-trafficking-.aspx

______

Libyan Coast Guard ship "Ras Jadar" rescues 277 migrants

* Libya SAR Op 09.04.20 - Libyan Coast Guard ship "Ras Jadar" in 3 separate night operations rescued 277 migrants incl. 7 women and 2 children. All rescued were returned to Tripoli and received medical and humanitarian assistance. Upon initial delay and final confirmation that migrants did not travel outside of Libya the special #COVID19 Task Unit granted permission for disembarkation.

______

Libyan Coast Guard ship "Zuwara" rescues 67 migrants

* Libya SAR Op 07.04.20 - Libyan Coast Guard ship "Zuwara" from Central Sector rescued 67 migrants from 1 boat. Migrants disembarked safely at Al Khums. Upon medical and humanitarian aid all rescued were released. Nationality of rescued: Sudan 57, South Sudan 7, Chad 2 and Gambia 1 (all male).

______

German NGO false claims of a "rescue" - "Alan Kurdi" pre-arranged pick up of Bangladeshi migrants

NOT A RESCUE! Just another pre-arranged NGO pickup that almost ended in tragedy! This pickup was advertised on Bangladeshi human smugglers' Facebook for almost a week!

(DE) KEINE RETTUNG sonder eine weitere vorab arrangierte NGO-Abholung die fast in einer Tragödie endete! Für diese Abholung wurde bereits eine Woche lang beworben auf bangladeschischen Menschenschmuggler Facebook!

[EXAMPLE] NGOs IN CAHOOTS WITH SMUGGLERS & HUMAN TRAFFICKING MILITIAS IN LIBYA since 2016! Even the German TV gets an exclusive insider access to human smuggling operations in Zuwara!

[BEISPIEL] NGOs STECKEN UNTER EINER DECKE MIT SCHMUGGLERN UND MENSCHENHANDELSMILIZEN IN LIBYEN seit 2016! Sogar das deutsche Fernsehen erhält einen exklusiven Insider-Zugang zu Menschenschmuggeloperationen in Zwara!

Source: https://twitter.com/SPIEGELTV/status/1196468363897294849?s=20

* German NGO "Sea-Eye" collusion with Libyan human smugglers and trafficking militias (10.06.2017)

______

Disinfection of Coastal Security headquarters in Tajoura

* Libya 04.04.20 - Youth volunteers with assistance of Fire Department carried out disinfection tasks of all facilities at the headquarters of General Administration of Coastal Security in Tajoura. #COVID19

______

Suq al Khamis DCIM administration orders disinfection of all facilities

* Libya 04/05.04.20 - DCIM in cooperation with IOM and Kafa'a Development Foundation initiated a campaign of disinfection and cleaning of facilities at Suq al Khamis Immigration Detention Center in Al-Khums. Also an awareness campaign has been launched to prevent the risk of contracting #COVID19 conducted by Efficiency Foundation and WHO Health Department. Migrants in addition received cleaning products supplied by IOM staff.

______

IOM Libya - Maritime Update 31.03.2020

* Libya 31.03.20 - So far in 2020 Libyan Coast Guard rescued 2,677 migrants at sea. (UPDATE): https://www.iom.int/sites/default/files/situation_reports/file/march_2020_iom_monthly_update.pdf

______

Benghazi Criminal Investigation Unit dismantles human smuggling network

* Libya 03.04.20 - Criminal Investigation Unit of Benghazi Security Directorate apprehended 14 illegal migrants and dismantled human smuggling network. A successful investigation led to the arrest of 1 Libyan and 1 Chadian who are allegedly the kingpins of this network. Migrants predominately from Chad and Sudan were being smuggled via Kufra route and later kept in "safe farmhouses" in groups of 80 - 100 before further transport to coastal cities. The human smuggling network active since 2017 extorted for their services between 1500 LYD - 3000 LYD (ca. 1000 - 2000 USD) per migrant.

______

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Desert Shield Battalion apprehends 135 illegal migrants at the border

* Libya - In concerted efforts to secure southern borders on 25.03.20 Desert Shield Battalion apprehended 135 illegal migrants of different African nationalities near Toum border crossing with Niger. Migrants upon basic medical and humanitarian aid were handed over on 30.03.20 to Niger Border Forces in Madama District for completion of legal proceedings and repatriation.

______

Smugglers abandon over 250 migrants at Niger’s border with Libya

* At the end of March smugglers have abandoned over 250 migrants at Niger’s border with Libya. Many of them were found dehydrated. IOM’s protection staff provided on scene assistance and
facilitated transport of migrants from Dirkou to Agadez. The majority of migrants were from Nigeria (104), Ghana (53) and Burkina (34).

______