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Neville Gafa Publishes A Small Glimpse Inside Libya’s Asylum Seeker Centres And The Fate Of Migrants Rescued In Maltese Waters

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Malta has closed its borders to all. However, it was blocking safe passage for asylum seekers that generated controversy. The government took a firm stance and one boat in Maltese waters was even sent back to Libya. According to the International Organisation for Migration, five people had already died.

It immediately raised questions as to whether returning to Libya is a safe option at all, with the UN-recognised government in Tripoli declaring its ports unsafe due to the ongoing civil war in the country. Centres in Libya has also faced numerous allegations of serious abuse, including rape and torture.

However, Neville Gafa has published a series of photos within Libya’s camps in what he says is a bid to  “expose the truth in the interests of the Maltese and Gozitan public”.

Gafa was a controversial figure in Joseph Muscat’s administration whose links with Libya and the various competing organisations working within the country remain somewhat of a mystery. He claimed his work in the country was crucial in preventing thousands of migrants from reaching Malta.

However, his role in the medical visa scandal and his close relationship with both Muscat and Keith Schembri continue to be questioned.

He insists that Malta’s Armed Forces played a key role in locating the migrant vessel in an operation coordinated by the International Organization for Migration. Those who survived were taken to the Tarik Sikka centre, which is one of 11 in Libya.

“Without their help, all of them would have perished at sea,” he said attaching a photo of a 3-year-old Eritrean girl who was on the vessel.

Turning to the NGO search and rescue vessels themselves, Gafa insists that they are league with asylum seekers claiming that they knew the location of the vessel but refused to report it. He says he will publish further evidence to expose the issue.

He has also published several pictures showing UNHCR and IMO packages arriving at centres. However, in truth, it gives little on the actual conditions.

The death of the asylum seekers has resulted in a full-scale investigation into Prime Minister Robert Abela, Brigadier Jeffrey Curmi, and numerous AFM soldiers. However, the case has already become muddled with NGO Repubblika, who started the case, now presenting evidence showing that AFM soldiers did not sabotage a migrant vessel as reported.

Foreign Affairs Minister Evarist Bartolo has revealed that EU ministers have accepted plans to send a humanitarian mission to Libya, including €100 million worth of food and medical supplies, in order to improve the situation in the war-torn North African country and to alleviate the pressure of irregular migrants off Europe.

However, it remains to be seen whether the aid package will prove sufficient in the long run. The Libya crisis is far from over and without a concrete plan from the EU, diplomatic issues will continue cropping up.

READ NEXT: PN Wants Everyone In Malta To Be Given €50 To Spend At Restaurants And Bars Once They Reopen

Julian is the former editor of Lovin Malta and has a particular interest in politics, the environment, social issues, and human interest stories.

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