Human Rights Watch (HRW) has issued a stark appeal to Italy, urging the government to terminate its migrant cooperation agreement with Libya. The organization argues that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in February 2017, which was aimed at curbing migration through the Mediterranean, has become a source of severe human rights violations.

The agreement has facilitated Italian support to the Libyan Coast Guard, enabling them to intercept and return thousands of migrants attempting to cross into Europe. However, numerous reports from NGOs have highlighted the dire conditions faced by these returned individuals, including routine detention in squalid conditions where torture and other abuses are rampant.

Further compounding the issue, a 2023 report by the UN Fact-Finding Mission in Libya found credible evidence suggesting collusion between high-ranking Libyan Coast Guard officials and human traffickers. These traffickers are reportedly linked to militia groups and have been involved in extorting payments for the release of detained migrants.

The call for abolition of the MOU has been supported by various human rights organizations and refugee advocacy groups. A network of civil society organizations, including Refugees in Libya, is actively campaigning against the renewal of the agreement, which is scheduled for November 2nd.

Judith Sunderland, the associate Europe and Central Asia director at HRW, emphasized the need for a shift in the EU’s approach to Mediterranean migration. She advocated for policies that prioritize rescue operations at sea and establish safe, legal migration pathways, rather than perpetuating a cycle of violence and abuse.

The European Commission and Frontex are set to host a delegation of Libyan migration officials on October 14-15. HRW has called on EU officials to seize this opportunity to press for enhanced respect for human rights and accountability for the abuses that have been documented.

This renewed scrutiny comes at a critical juncture, as international and local pressures converge on Italy and the EU to reevaluate their cooperation strategies with Libya in light of these serious human rights concerns.