Human Rights Watch (HRW) has intensified its call for Italy to annul its migrant cooperation agreement with Libya, asserting that the policy framework has facilitated significant violations of human rights. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), initially signed in February 2017, outlines Italy’s support for the Libyan Coast Guard through technical, logistical, and financial means. This arrangement has resulted in the interception and return of tens of thousands of migrants to Libya. However, Human Rights Watch emphasizes that these operations often culminate in detention under inhumane conditions, with detainees subjected to torture and degrading treatment.
Supporting HRW’s viewpoint, recent investigations by the UN Fact-Finding Mission in Libya highlight collusion between high-ranking Libyan Coast Guard officers and human traffickers linked to militia groups. These officials have been accused of demanding payments for migrant releases, raising severe ethical and legal concerns. Consequently, human rights organizations and refugee advocates are increasingly questioning the sustainability and morality of the MOU. Civil society entities, such as Refugees in Libya, are rallying against the agreement’s impending renewal on November 2.
HRW’s associate director for Europe and Central Asia, Judith Sunderland, has articulated the urgent need for the European Union and its member states, including Italy, to halt practices that essentially finance and legitimize violence against migrants. Instead, there should be a shift towards policies prioritizing sea rescues and establishing safe, legal migration pathways.
With the European Commission and Frontex hosting Libyan migration officials on October 14-15, HRW sees this as a pivotal opportunity for EU leaders to insist on adherence to human rights standards and accountability for prior abuses. The stakes of this diplomatic engagement are further underscored by a report by Reuters, which details the widespread condemnation such agreements face from the international community.