LIBYA: Somali immigrants in Triploi hope for U.N. help

Record ID: 348135

  • Title: LIBYA: Somali immigrants in Triploi hope for U.N. help
  • Date: 5th September 2011
  • Summary: SMALL CHILD
  • Embargoed: 20th September 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Libya
  • Country: Libya
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA8OCEL5STUP88V0GWJFB10DYD
  • Story Text: The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Sunday (September 4) they were helping Libya's new National Transitional Council (NTC) process 57 illegal immigrants from Somalia.
    The UNHCR was responding to a call by the NTC to assist them in dealing with scores of illegal immigrants they say were put into a Tajoura camp by the Gaddafi regime.
    During the conflict between anti-Gaddafi forces and the old regime, deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi threatened he would flood the European Union (EU) with illegal immigrants if the international community took punitive action against him.
    The NTC says there are thousands of such immigrants spread across Libya.
    The NTC moved the 300 African nationals from Tajoura to the oil institute, west of Tripoli, where they investigated them.
    They are searching out suspected mercenaries among them.
    More than 50 of the men, women and children in this building were initially caught five days ago trying to board fast inflatable boats to Italy.
    Some of them said they had come to Libya last May with a plan to sail to Europe.
    "Most of us, we don't have any qualifications, because we have been in fighting (back home) that's why we run from Somalia. Even you can see, most of us we don't have any education, we don't have anything. We are not qualified people. All of us are youth from Somalia and we want to use our hands," said Ahmed Adell Ali, a 21-year old from Somalia.
    The NTC said informants working among the Gaddafi forces, involved in the illegal immigration racket, pointed them to 14 fast inflatable boats preparing to sail to EU countries with the immigrants.
    "I think this is a larger problem that the NTC has indicated their desire to find a solution to. This, as I said, is a first step. We hope this is a very encouraging step. They are recognising the humanitarian needs of a vulnerable group within this; (upon which) they can cooperate with the U.N. and the humanitarian community with," said UNHCR senior protection officer Samuel Cheung.
    NTC said they would probably organise permanent homes for the immigrants inside Libya.
    International aid charity Islamic Relief will help out.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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