The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, today welcomed Libya’s announcement that it will be “shutting down” three of its detention centres for refugees, migrants and asylum seekers.
Spokesperson Andrej Mahecic told reporters in Geneva that UNHCR was now calling for the “orderly release of all refugees in detention centres to urban settings,” adding that the agency “stands ready to provide these people with assistance through our urban programs, including financial assistance, medical and psychosocial support.”
Among the centres that are slated to be closed is the one in Tajoura, in north-western Libya, that came under missile attack on the 2nd of July this year, leaving about 50 people dead and over 130 severely injured. The attack was strongly condemned both by UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet, who stated that it could amount to a war crime, and by the UN Envoy for Libya, Ghassan Salamé.
The detention centres in Misrata and Khoms will also close, according to reports. UNHCR has been calling for the closure of all refugee detention centres in Libya.
“It has been our long-standing advocacy to close the detention centres in Libya, holding refugees, asylum seekers and migrants,” Mahecic told journalists at a press briefing.
“Asylum seekers and refugees should not be kept in detention,” he said. “We absolutely oppose any idea of detaining children, whether they are refugees, asylum seekers or migrants,” he added.
“It has been our long-standing advocacy to close the detention centres in Libya, holding refugees, asylum seekers and migrants,” Mahecic told journalists at a press briefing.
“Asylum seekers and refugees should not be kept in detention,” he said. “We absolutely oppose any idea of detaining children, whether they are refugees, asylum seekers or migrants,” he added.
UNHCR did not yet have details regarding the relocation of the people who have been held in the three centres.
According to UNCHR there are 19 official detention centres under control of Libyan authorities, holding arbitrarily a total of some 5,000 refugees and migrants~UNTV CH
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