Forcing migrants back to Libya ‘is an atrocity’ - Graffitti

Left-wing organisation Moviment Graffitti condemns repatriation of migrants to Libya.

Moviment Graffitti has condemned the rescue mission that resulted in immigrants being sent back to Libya, declaring the AFM’s claim that the immigrants were taken back voluntarily as “simply ridiculous, and cannot in any way be believed.”

The left-wing group called for an independent investigation to ascertain what really happened.

“After speaking to immigrants who were on this boat, it becomes clear that the immigrants were first lied to when they were told that they would be taken to Italy by what was in fact a Libyan patrol boat, and when they realised this, they were threatened of being left to drown if they didn't get on the Libyan patrol boat,” spokesperson Andre Callus said.

“Those who had already climbed onto the patrol boat tried to jump off-board, which resulted in a lot of trouble aboard the boat. It was only at this point that the Maltese Army had no choice but to take the immigrants remaining on the dinghy on its patrol boat. In this incident families ended up being separated, with some members ending up in Libya and some in Malta.”

Callus said that “surely the immigrants’ version of events is much more credible than the army’s. This is because no immigrant would actually want to go back to Libya voluntarily.”

Callus added that it was astonishing to hear Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s claim that he is sure they will be treated well in Libya. “At this point the Prime Minister is obliged to say how he is so convinced, when all the reports made by international organisations and institutions show that immigrants in Libya are imprisoned arbitrarily where they suffer horrible abuses like torture and rape, or they are left to die in the middle of the desert.”

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Alfred Galea
TS, if I had to choose as to who is telling the truth between the AFM/Govt. and an illegal immigrant I'd choose the former. Now, before you reply to my post FIRST you understand it......read my lips.....I said, with a lot of sarcasm, that it is "shocking" that Andre and the Gees take the illegal's side against the AFM/Govt. Now you probably know, as much as I do, that these illegal immigrants are transported here by unscrupupous human traffickers, without any papers or any sort of ID, do you know why they do that?? Do you honestly believe that during the amount of time they spent in Libya these guys had no identification?? They end up in Libya coz they want to go to Europe where the welfare system will take care of them for life. There are numerous countries in Africa where they can go to escape from persecution, but their social safety net stinks.
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eleonoray86cws Ca?uana
@Joe South If you want to know why people flee countries like Somalia may I suggest you follow some current events. Why they end up in Libya, just buy an Atlas r download it. Why should it be shocking that someone doesn't believe the Maltese govt? Do you really believe anything the Maltese govt says? Sorry, I don't. And there isn't anything really shocking about that.
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Raymond Falzon
You should name this site AFRICATODAY
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Alfred Galea
Andre Callus taking the illegal immigrants' side against the AFM and the Maltese Government!!! " This is because no immigrant would actually go back to Libya voluntarily" Andre, weren't these people in Libya before they set sail?? Weren't they duped by Libyan human traffickers to believe they could get them to Europe?? So my question to you is: Why would anybody who crossed barren deserts to get to Libya and pay Libyan human traffickers be afraid to go back to Libya??