Translation of the interview with migration and development expert Sophia Wirsching, first published in German at domradio.de.
“Creating safe reception facilities in transit countries” is a goal of SPD faction leader Thomas Oppermann. Hence, he encourages cooperation with Libya. The charity Bread for the World deems this questionable under international law.
Advocate General Mengozzi of the European Court of Justice announced in a press release yesterday, 7 February 2017, that “Members States must issue a visa on humanitarian grounds where substantial grounds have been shown for believing that a refusal would place persons seeking international protection at risk of torture or inhuman or degrading treatment.”
The advocate’s opinion further states that “it is irrelevant whether or not there are ties between the person concerned and the requested Member State.”
Friday 3 February, European leaders meet at the informal summit in Valletta, Malta, to discuss migration. The meeting is focused specifically on halting migration along the Central Mediterranean Route, with Libya as its focal point. In a joint statement, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) urging the EU to not consider Libya a safe third country. The humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned the EU about an inhumane approach to migration.