Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/776046
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 22 JANUARY 2017 News 5 compares with 32,317 through the first 18 days of January, 2016. IOM's Missing Migrants Project also reported 234 estimated deaths at sea so far this year. MOAS founder in agreement about EU-Libya deal The founder of the Migrant Off- shore Aid Station, Chris Catram- bone, has told MaltaToday that, in principle, he is agreement with the Prime Minister's assertion that the EU must replicate the EU-Turkey deal with Libya, and believes that local and regional NGOs could play an important role. "The Prime Minister discussed the essence of the EU-Turkey deal in his address at the European Par- liament. He specifically defined 'essence' as: fighting human traf- fickers and enacting Humanitarian Corridors," said the philanthropist entrepreneur. "I agree with both of these actions and I look forward to hearing more details of the gov- ernment's plan." Under the EU-Turkey deal, mi- grants who arrive in Greece and do not satisfy the criteria to be grant- ed asylum are returned to Turkey. This has led human smugglers to exploit other routes to Europe, such as Libya. Libya is a major transit country for sub-Saharan Africans to cross over to Europe, with thousands of migrants leaving Libya's 1,770km- long coast every year. Over 180,000 migrants are estimated to have crossed from Libya since the start of 2015, with numbers shooting up ever since the EU-Turkey deal. The adaptability of smugglers has been a source of criticism by opponents of the deal who have also voiced concerns about the conditions failed asylum-seekers face upon being returned to Tur- key. The UNHCR admitted last month that it does not receive in- formation on the legal status and location of individuals who have been readmitted from Greece, and that it is not always able to track their location and monitor their situation. Ensuring the safety of failed asy- lum-seekers in Libya would be sig- nificantly more difficult than it is in Turkey, given that the country is in the midst of a civil conflict, with two rival governments vying for power. Speaking to MaltaToday George Vella cast doubt on wheth- er a deal could be struck. "It's a question of if and when Libya be- comes stable," he said, while point- ing out that despite its problems, at least Turkey remains a relatively safe country. "I ask whether Libya is a safe country, and I'll leave it at that." Catrambone too acknowledged that any deal could not result in a situation where "vulnerable in- dividuals with a right to apply for asylum" are sent back to a country which "lacks a government author- ity with full control and sovereign- ty over all the country's territory." However, despite the current situation in Libya, Catrambone said he was sure that from a lo- gistical perspective humanitarian corridors in Libya can be set up, adding that what is needed is the political will to do so. "Humanitar- ian corridors would be a valid and sustainable alternative to the dan- gerous sea crossing, which directly benefits criminals and human traf- fickers. "It creates a regular and legal route, directing people away from traffickers, and allowing priority to be given to the most vulnerable while allowing pre-selection and pre-screening to occur, bolstering security and reducing the burden on host nations," he said. Moreover, if such corridors are defined as safe transit from a dan- gerous place to a safe place, "then Libya will have to meet interna- tionally accepted criteria." MOAS role On whether NGOs could play a role in establishing and operating within these corridors, Catram- bone said that local and regional NGOs, including MOAS, had a lot to contribute. "As proven by the humanitarian corridors project in Italy, govern- ments need the support and in- volvement of civil society organi- sations in order for such projects to be successful," he said, referring to a pilot project by the Commu- nity of Sant'Egidio and Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy, to set up humanitarian corridors that provide refugees with safe passage to Italy. The project has been running for a year, and through it asylum seekers are identified by specific departments which have been set up in Morocco and Lebanon, be- fore being safely transported to Italy where they are provided with an Italian visa which is valid only in Italy. Joseph Muscat wants a migration deal with Libya Chris Catrambone - sure that humanitarian corridors can be set up in Libya