The sharply worded submission was brought by lawyers who have asked the ICC to open an investigation into EU migration policies and whether a prosecution could be mounted under law. The lawyers assessed European migration policies in the Mediterranean over recent years, paying particular attention to the end of Italy’s military-humanitarian rescue operation Mare Nostrum in 2014 and the subsequent shift to policies focused on deterrence. Sending migrants back to LibyaThe authors assert that European authorities have “channeled their policies” of deterrence through the so-called Libyan coastguard. These aircraft have reportedly informed the Libyan coastguard about the whereabouts of migrants boats so that they can intercept them. NGOs have documented that many migrants have been exposed to systematic forms of torture, sexual violence, and extortion at these camps.

Source: Libya Today June 05, 2019 04:40 UTC