General objective

Improve the living conditions and hygiene standards at the migrant detention centres in the Tripoli area (Tarek al Sika, Tarek al Matar and Tajoura).

Specific objective

Purchase and distribution of emergency kits to prepare the detainees for winter; improvement of sanitary conditions of the centres, with particular attention to women and children.
Ensure the correct operation of water pipes to guarantee a constant flow of drinking water.

Expected results

Tangible and immediate improvements of the sanitary conditions for the beneficiaries of the centres; training the local staff in remote monitoring techniques

About the project

In recent years, we have witnessed an intensification of migratory flows. The majority of people, who migrate for various reasons, move within the African continent, but there are many people who try to migrate to Europe in order to escape violence and conflicts. Because of the political instability in Libya since the fall of the Muammar Gaddafi regime, the country has become an important place of transit for thousands of migrants headed towards the European coasts, especially the Italian ones.

The Libyan authorities acknowledges the possibility of giving asylum applications only to migrants coming from seven countries in the world, while for all others, whether asylum seekers or migrants, there is no clear legislation and for this reason, there are thousands of people that remain in the detention centres located throughout the country.

Data of International Organization for Migration (IOM) of November 2017 indicate the presence of 34 operational centres in the country; 15 of which are managed by the Libyan authorities and the remaining 19 are managed by armed groups and militias. The number of migrants placed in these centres is constantly increasing, and data from the European Union (Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations – DG ECHO) have reported approximately 204,458 internally displaced persons, 301,998 returnees, 416,556 migrants, 9,382 refugees, and 34,226 asylum seekers, amounting to over one million people in distress.

Researches carried out by our local partner, STACO, a Libyan NGO, and confirmed by IOM, on the condition inside these centres, demonstrate the need for urgent medical assistance, a rapid improvement in the hygiene conditions and assurance of adequate nutritional level of the food supplied to detainees. In addition, people held in detention centres are not provided even the basic necessities and most of them have lost their personal belongings during the journey.

Demographic analysis shows a significant percentage of women and children in the centres (23% and 10% respectively). These two are the most vulnerable categories who have to pay the highest price of this forced detention.

As part of our intervention, we distribute kits containing clothing for winter (e.g. jackets, shoes, warm clothes) and emergency kits with pillows, sheets and blankets pretreated with repellents for mites and insects. These are issued to all the detainees at three such centres. Special kits will also be distributed to the most vulnerable groups (dignity kits – sanitary pads, nappies and personal hygiene products). Thanks to the use of innovative technologies such as satellite images and tracking, we can now monitor, also remotely, the actual distribution and delivery of these materials to those who need them.

With the involvement of local staff, we are taking steps to identify the critical issues and the urgent needs of the facilities that supply water to the three centres. Based on this analysis, we will carry out the necessary interventions to guarantee the supply of drinking water in the three centres subject to our intervention.

Project costs

678.108 €

Beneficiaries

2750 people:

  • 280 children
  • 793 women

Backer

Agenzia Italiana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo (AICS)

Partners

  • FSD – Fondation Suisse de Deminage
  • Sheikh Taher Azzawi Charity Organization

Project leader

Valeria Fabbroni

Valeria Fabbroni

Project representative