Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/849592
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 16 JULY 2017 17 ment of Libya over all the coast- guard's units and officers. As trafficking expert Mark Mi- callef told MaltaToday in an in- terview in July, militias have been tapping into the money that is being made from human smug- gling, running protection rackets. Certain areas have five different coast guards running their own rackets, something confirmed by Amnesty itself: "irregular groups and militias are de facto exercis- ing coastguard-like functions in certain areas of territorial waters." The UN's panel of experts on Libya also reported how coast- guards were directly involved in the sinking of migrant boats us- ing firearms, while another UN report by the support mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), alleges corruption and collusion between coast- guards and smugglers. "Libyan coast guard staff have apparently also seized boats and engines, and then sold them on- wards. A number of migrants interviewed by UNSMIL who were intercepted at sea by armed men believed to be members of the Libyan coast guard, said that some were in military camou- flage uniforms and others were in civil clothes… several migrants recounted being beaten with sticks or gun butts, and robbed of their belongings, usually mobile phones and money." An illustrative example is the 23 May incident where 1,800 people were left stranded out at sea on eight boats in distress about 14 nautical miles off the Libyan coast, which NGOs converged upon to assist. "After about two hours, Libyan coastguard speedboats, including one with four station- ary machine guns, approached the rescue area at high speed, reportedly creating large waves. Libyan armed personnel report- edly opened fire first at a fishing boat in the vicinity, and then in the air but in close proximity of the refugees and migrants' rub- ber boats. The Libyan officers boarded two of the refugees and migrant boats, started hitting the people on board and pointed large guns at them. Panic ensued and a large number of people, up to 100, jumped in the water." Because the NGOs' crews had already distributed lifejackets shortly before the Libyan coast- guard arrived, many managed to stay afloat. 67 people were rescued and taken on board the Aquarius boat of SOS Mediter- ranee. Two rubber boats were taken back towards Libyan waters by the Libyan coastguard. The NGOs could not say whether any of the people taken back to Libya were injured. Amnesty said the Libyan coast- guard should not be relied upon to undertake search and rescue operations in international wa- ters. "The coordination of SAR op- erations in international waters in compliance with international law and standards requires stable institutions which Libya currently does not have… to pursue the es- tablishment of a Libyan MRCC with a view to having it opera- tional in 2018, as confirmed by EU official sources to Amnesty, ap- pears at best delusional, at worst a cynical attempt to ensure that those rescued are brought back to Libya." News MATTHEW VELLA A two-year study of migratory flows in the Mediterranean led by Middlesex University, has found that the overwhelming majority of asylum seekers in Malta were fleeing war and persecution or tar- geted violence. The research team interviewed 750 individuals in Malta, Sicily and Greece from March 2016 onwards, focusing on their experiences of reception and their prospects at a time when the European Union was under pressure to restrict their movement beyond the outer bor- ders. The data recorded that the over- whelming majority of participating individuals were forced migrants fleeing persecution, war, famine and personal insecurity – espe- cially in Greece. Syrian refugees spoke of having fled Islamic State militants and the Taliban. In Malta alone, 52.8% of those interviewed in reception centres cited war as the reason for leav- ing their home, while 24.5% said they were fleeing persecution or targeted violence. 17% also cited concerns for family security. Only 5.7% cited economic rea- sons, while still fewer mentioned work purposes, education, or "ex- ploring Europe" as a reason to leave home. Even in Sicily, which has attract- ed largely mixed flows of asylum seekers and migrants, only 18% described their motivation as eco- nomic. "This finding affirms other re- search which claims that most of those who reached Europe during the research period were drawn by 'push' rather than 'pull' factors and represent a predominantly asylum- seeking population," the report, led by Professor Brad Blitz, said. "How and why people reached Italy, Greece and Malta is a more complicated story and many of those surveyed reported they had no control over their eventual destination. This was especially the case for those who took the Central Mediterranean route and journeyed via Libya," the report, 'Mapping Refugee Reception in the Mediterranean', said. Some West Africans had hoped to work in Libya, when it was still relatively stable at the time they be- gan their journey. As one 18-year- old Senegalese said, "95% of us are stuck against our will. Once you arrive in Libya it's better for you to cross the Mediterranean than to turn your back to save your life." In fact, over 75% of the Malta re- spondents said they had no choice or alternative but to land in Mal- ta. Few African migrants actively sought to be on the island but ar- rived accidentally by boat after be- ing intercepted at sea. That situation is contrasted with Libyans who reach Malta by plane: of the 1,733 claims for asylum in 2016, 652 were Libyan nationals while 287 were from Syrian na- tionals. The survey also recorded shock- ing instances of abuse, particularly for those who had taken the Cen- tral Mediterranean route and trav- elled via Libya and across the Sa- hara. Over 50% experienced arrest or detention and at least 17% were placed in unpaid, bonded labour by Libyan rebels. One Guinean said the rebels tore up his documentation and jailed him for two weeks. "I had no clue that in Libya peo- ple were being imprisoned, brutal- ised, killed and tortured… people who tried to escape from prison were shot dead right away in the most inhumane ways. They were slaughtered. I witnessed people be- ing beaten to death." Indeed over half of the partici- pants who landed in Sicily (52%) reported mistreatment during the journey, compared to 16.4% in Greece. War and persecution major drivers of migration, Malta survey finds Why did you leave your last country of residence? (% within country) Reason Greece Sicily Malta War 48.7% 23.6% 52.8% Persecution or targeted violence 37.4% 48.9% 24.5% Concerns regarding family security 45.4% 42.9% 17.0% Environmental disaster/famine 0.7% 5.3% 0.0% Healthcare needs 3.0% 5.3% 1.9% Work-related 10.3% 10.3% 3.8% Economic reasons 16.6% 18.3% 5.7% Education 2.0% 2.8% 3.8% Family reunification 7.6% 1.5% 0.0% Exploring Europe 1.0% 1.5% 1.9% Other 5.0% 2.8% 35.8% Respondents could select up to three options, so totals do not add to 100% Despair aboard the MOAS's Phoenix. Photo: Miriam Dalli that worked' At a distance: an Italian navy vessel oversees MOAS inspecting a smugglers' boat used to transport migrants. While NGOs have been instrumental in effecting rescues at sea, it looks like States have been more willing to delegate this role to NGOs