UNDERSTANDING THE CAUSES OF MODERN DAY SLAVERY IN LIBYA
UNDERSTANDING THE CAUSES OF MODERN DAY SLAVERY IN LIBYA
By:
Nurudeen Dauda
2nd December, 2017 nurudeendauda24@gmail.com nurudeendauda24@yahoo.com
nurudeendauda.blogspot.com
Permit me to add my voice on this disheartening issue. Human trafficking has become a lucrative business nowadays. "Migrants"pay money to traffickers to take them to Europe in search of greener pastures. They are firstly smuggled to Libya by a network of criminal gangs on the promise of reaching Europe. Human traffickers who have syndicates often deceive our young men and women who constitute the bulk of the "migrants" by promising them good "Jobs" in Europe.
The "migrants" are being promised new life when they go there .They are being promised paradise on earth . They think and believe something wonderful is waiting for them in Europe. However, who buys slaves in Libya and for what? Why do Africans migrate to Europe? Why do EU countries block migrants from entering Europe? How can Africa stop migration to Europe? Please come with me!
In my observation, high rate of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and political instability in most of the African countries were and or are still some of the "reasons" convincing African "migrants" move to Europe in search of "greener pastures".
Libya is a major exit point for African "migrants" heading to Europe. Libya as the main gateway for people attempting to reach Europe by sea borders "Italy" and once the "migrants" reached "Italy" they could easy enter other European countries because of their effective transportation system and proximity.
In the past some African "migrants" who were on their ways to Europe in search of "greener pastures" or "Jobs" ended up in Libya. Libya's economy during its heydays was by far better than many African economies. The country has a total population of only about 6 million people. The country during its peace era used to be producing over 1.6 million barrels of crude oil daily. More so, it has a proven crude oil reserves of over 46 billion barrels which is the biggest in Africa. During the 42 years reign of Muammar Gaddafi he maintained an open door policy to all African citizens and coupled with its good economy then a lot of Africans who were on their ways to Europe found Libya as home to them then.
Gaddafi was instrumental in the foundation of the African Union(AU) as an attempt to institutionalize pan-Africanism and African self- sufficiency. He also pushed for the creation of United States of Africa. His open door policy to the citizens of other African countries and his alleged recruitments of other Africans to the Libyan Army made some people accused of trying to become the president of the whole Africa.
The "migrants" population later became too many right from Gaddafi's era where detention centres were introduced. However, the real problem began to manifest after the power vacuum in Libya. The fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, made Libya became almost a failed state. More so, even if Gaddafi were alive with the collapse of crude oil in the international market things would still have been very difficult for the Libyans. The power vacuum in Libya after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi has made human trafficking and people smuggling a booming trade in Libya. There is really no rule of law across much of Libya.
More so, the economic shocks in Libya which is occasioned by the collapse in the crude oil price as well as the drop in Libya's daily crude production might have added to the crisis. The detention centres established in Libya as early as the year 2000s were to deter migrants from flooding Libya. The detention centers in Libya which are referred to by Libya as “holding centers” were to deter migration to Libya and Europe. Italy, the country where most of the girls among the "migrants"end up as prostitutes, is alleged to be paying the Libyan traffickers more money in order to stop them from sending "migrants" on boats to Italy.
Furthermore, the European Union's renewed strategy to stop "migrants" and refugees travelling across the Mediterranean has led to more people being stuck in the north African country without money or food. This EU policy of helping Libyan authorities "intercept" people trying to cross the Mediterranean and return them to "prisons" or "detention centres"has been described as inhuman. However, there is no proper registration process for the tens of thousands of "migrants " arriving in Libya.
According to reports, the business of detention centres is unsupervised in some parts of Libya and stories of torture, rape and forced labour have emerged. When the centres get too crowded, people are then allegedly being sold off like goods in an open market. They were or are being sold off for various amounts in the range of $400.The policy of intercepting the migrants by the Libyans made some of the traffickers run into troubles. It is alleged that the "migrants " were beaten up and forced to call their families to arrange money for their release. Some of those who could not pay their captors are reportedly killed or left to starve to death. Women are being ordered to work in private night clubs as prostitutes. Some are being sold to farmhouse for slavery.
Who buys slaves in Libya and for what ? In my understanding, traffickers or Smugglers who are now unable to get the people who have often sold all their possessions in order to pay their ways into Europe are holding them against their will. When warehouses overflow or migrants run out of money to pay the smugglers, some are sold into slavery. CNN recorded footage of men being sold for $400 as farm laborers at a nighttime auction in Libya.
Why do EU countries block migrants from Africa? In my view, essentially, security, social and economic reasons are among the major reasons.How can Africa stop "migrants " to EU? The only way to stop or minimize migration from Africa to Europe is for African governments to work hard towards reducing poverty, unemployment, am illiteracy among its people. Political stability is also needed in Africa.
May God bless Africa!