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Ghanaians die in Libyan camp

Wed, 25 Jan 2006 Source: Heritage

There is silence on the suffering of Ghanaians in deportation camp in Libya where Ghanaians together with inmates from other sister African countries face cruel and degrading treatment by Libyan security guards.

Survivors accounts backed by investigations by an Accra daily newspaper suggests that Ghanaian inmates in the Libyan capital at times give themselves up to the Libyan authorities after suffering brutalities and racist abuse from the Libyan society.

Gripped with fear of incessant attacks and cruel abuse, Ghanaian nationals surrender themselves to the Libyan security agencies who then send them to the deportation camp.

While waiting deportation the Libyan security agencies themselves subject the unlucky Ghanaians to severe maltreatment.

Ghanaian authorities in Libya occasionally pay visits to the inmates but cannot do anything to change their situation.

Over the years, there has been a mad rush to Libya by young Ghanaian men on transit to Europe.

This adventure at time leads to death especially in the Sahara Desert.

Those who have been fortunate to reach Libya through that illegal means face racist abuse from the unreceptive Libyan society.

There are also indiscriminate attacks from the Libyan security agencies meted out to Ghanaian nationals and nationals of other sister African countries.

From their stay in Libya the immigrants yearn to move to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea via fishing boats.

A boat that under normal circumstances carries a maximum of twenty people is forced to take hundred or more passengers.

A lucrative business that most Libyans cannot easily gloss over.

These boats as times capsize mainly due to overloading and immigrants who have been fortunate enough to reach the shores of Europe at times battle with European coast guards.

Some are arrested and sent back and the lucky ones get application of asylum granted.

According to Libyan authorities, the Libyans together with the affected African countries and the European Union are engaged in talks on how to control the influx of African immigrants illegally from Libya to Europe.

Source: Heritage