- Title: LIBYA: The Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Centre opens inTripoli
- Date: 16th March 2008
- Summary: (MER-2) TRIPOLI, LIBYA (MARCH 12, 2008) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) CLIP OF LAURENCE HEART, DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION FOR MIGRATION IN LIBYA, SAYING: "I underline reintegration because it is extremely important for the migrants to return with something and not empty handed, in order to start a new income generating activity. Basically this is what we offe
- Embargoed: 31st March 2008 13:00
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- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVA1GJVS94QH23WOHC5JLNJMIFAT
- Story Text: The Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Centre in Tripoli, part-funded by the European Union and the government of Italy, opens in Tripoli on Wednesday (March 12) and will help migrants find a new livelihood back home, said Laurence Hart, the International Organization For Migration's (IOM) chief of mission in Libya.
The centre also offers temporary accommodation for migrants who have no ties to their national communities in Libya and cannot support themselves.
"Basically this is what we offer; We offer, here from the centre, information, reliable information on the dangers of irregular migration, assisted voluntary return. We also offer accommodation to those people who are in need of temporary accommodation before returning home and finally a training place for Libyan NGO's, civil society willing to engage in this endeavour in assisting stranded migrants which are high in numbers in this country," said Heart.
Libya said in January it had begun deporting illegal migrants, a community of up to 2 million who were welcomed to the oil-exporting desert country in the 1990's for their cheap labour but are now blamed for taking work from jobless Libyans.
"The presence of immigrants and their high flow rate has effected the social moralities and values and increased crime rates, some crimes such forging documents and drugs as well as some other crimes. what is being spent on this phenomenon is cut from the share of the Libyan citizen and it should and those funds should have been spent on development programmes in Libya for Libyans," said General Dkhani, Head of Cooperation department in the Libyan Ministry of Public Security.
Most are trying to reach Europe where they might find a job and send some money home to support impoverished families.
Libya is also a transit point for refugees from violence in Iraq and the Palestinian territories.
Southern European countries are in need of cheap labour but their governments have come under pressure to stem arrivals of illegal immigrants and boosted security to keep them out.
Migrant support groups accuse the EU of pressing Maghreb governments to expel the migrants and failing to produce promised aid to help them find alternative livelihoods.
Last year, nearly 20,000 migrants arrived in Italy by boat from north Africa, while at least 471 were reported dead or missing, according to United Nations refugee agency UNHCR.
Hart said the opening of the centre in Libya was "an important breakthrough" and the IOM hoped to work with Libyan associations to offer migrants job training and other benefits.
Amnesty International has said Libya's plan for mass deportations was forbidden under international law and that some of those expelled are refugees who risk torture back home.
Libya says the decision to deport the migrants is an internal measure that will be carried out in a civilised way. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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