11 juin 2010
Europe and Gaddafi’s whims
As we begin a new round of negotiations for an EU-Libya agreement, the Libyan government ordered to the United Nations refugee agency to leave the country.
The official reason is that apparently the UNHCR, present since 1991, was involved in illegal activities. What is ironic is UNHCR’s « illegal » activities were reported by a country which is anything but democratic, where human rights are not respected and neither immigrants and asylum seekers’ rights, because Libya has never signed the Geneva Convention of 1951.
This decision comes when negotiations between Libya and the EU were blocked on the issue of illegal immigration. Indeed, the talks provide an opportunity for Gaddafi to make some whims: agreeing to help Europe in its fight against illegal immigration, in return, Libya asks for a huge, nearly 5 billion Euros to finance the monitoring and reassuring of its maritime and land borders.
The European Commission has proposed 20 million Euros, but in parallel the EU offers to help Libya in different fields, including fight against illegal immigration through a « National Indicative Programme », including 60 million Euros.
The European Union and Libya played a strange game where human rights’ respect can be converted into cash. But how does Europe, continent of democracy and respect of human rights, may try to bargain with a State whose representative does not share these core values.
It is necessary to ask ourselves about limits of Europe in its relations with Libyan government and its lack of ability to position itself as a power.
Sophia Vignard