Spiegel Online: Libyan Camps for Refugees Are Not the Answer

Politicians in Europe seek to manage the flow of migrants from Africa and the Middle East. Proposals include funding camps in Libya, managed by EU or UN officials to prevent migrants from undertaking treacherous journeys across the Mediterranean, and “a network of safe places” to reduce human smuggling. Libya’s government and economy are unstable, and officials lack control over much of the country. European Union diplomats visited a refugee camp in Libya, and issued a secret report, describing squalid conditions unfit for migrants in detention. “Ninety percent of those who arrive in Italy are economic migrants and have little chance of being granted asylum or recognized as a refugee,” explains an article from Spiegel Online. “Such status is a prerequisite for being distributed to other EU countries. Economic migrants, however, are Italy's responsibility alone, with Rome liable for providing them with food and shelter and with processing their asylum applications.” Camps in Libya could become a target for Islamic State fighters fleeing Iraq. The article concludes that the extended stays in Libya end many plans to reach Europe. – YaleGlobal