Close
Search
Menu Menu
[gtranslate]

EU criticised for enabling human rights violations of refugees

Credit: Unsplash
By
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
0 Comments
0 Comments

The European Union faces growing backlash for its role in refugee rights violations, as critics argue that its strict asylum policies and border enforcement contribute to the suffering of those seeking safety.

Libya currently remains deeply divided and unstable amid ongoing political deadlock and militia violence.

In 2021, the indefinite postponement of national elections led to clashes between the UN-recognized Government of National Unity and the Government of National Stability, backed by the Libyan Arab Armed Forces.

However, violence significantly escalated in early May, with the assassination of a militia leader, sparking brutality between armed groups in Tripoli. Most of these confrontations have included heavy weaponry in a population-dense area, forcing the displacement of hundreds of families.

Amid the conflict, one group remains overlooked: the refugees.

Libya’s central Mediterranean location makes it a key transit point, especially for those fleeing Sudan. Many arrive hoping for a better life only to face inhumane conditions, grouped together with displaced Libyans also trying to escape the violence.

Their new hope now lies across the Mediterranean – in Europe. But unfortunately, where the refugees see hope and safety, the European Union sees a major problem.

Why the EU is turning refugees away

It all goes back to the 2015 migrant crisis which saw over 1.3 million refugees and migrants arrive in Europe, most by crossing the Mediterranean from Libya and other North African shores. This surge ended up overwhelming asylum systems throughout Europe, triggering powerful political backlash.

As more refugees began coming in, there was heightened public anxiety around border security, the economic costs, and even issues with cultural exchange. This prompted a rise in anti-immigration politics, becoming a central election topic in many European countries.

In response, the EU decided to toughen their policies and even introduced the Migration and Asylum Pact, which made it harder for refugees to enter European shores.

Making matters worse for migrants, the pact includes a clause backing refugee returns to “safe third countries.” In Libya’s case, the EU enforces this by funding and training the Libyan Coast Guard to intercept and return refugee boats. EU nations like Greece have also ramped up naval patrols to tighten border control.

It wouldn’t be so bad if this situation simply ended with the repatriation of the refugees to Libya, but it doesn’t.

The inhumane treatment

Refugees in Libya are treated terribly. Those intercepted by authorities are often forced into detention centres, which is why many cling to the hope of finding asylum in Europe.

However, due to the EU’s strict border policies and its support for Libyan authorities, refugees caught in the Mediterranean are frequently returned to these very same detention centres.

Here, refugees are subjected to inhumane conditions – all of which EU member states are aware of – including physical abuse, sexual violence, arbitrary detention, overcrowding, and even forced labour. At worst, they are trafficked.

Multiple human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have accused the EU of being “morally bankrupt” in subjecting these refugees to such conditions.

These groups stress that the EU’s focus on stopping departures from North African shores “at any cost” disregards the lives and dignity of the refugees aiming to seek protection.

The EU’s aiding and abetting of human rights violations isn’t new.

Amnesty has recorded the treatment of these refugees since 2016. It highlights how the return of refugees to Libya traps thousands in cycles of violence and degrading treatment, often with no viable path to safety or legal protection.

Despite this, 2025 has seen 743 people lose their lives attempting to flee these terrible conditions and find safety in Europe, knowing that they might end up being turned away. Moreover, the first quarter of 2025 saw the arrival of thousands of refugees on European shores, with above 90% having departed from Libya.

The EU isn’t doing anything tangible to improve these refugees’ conditions other than offering financial aid via the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and other international NGOs. They are looking to fund initiatives that act as an alternative to detention or improve conditions, but at the moment, these initiatives are still in proposal stages.

Still, many argue that the EU’s support for Libyan interceptions and forced returns violates basic human rights. Migration may be a heavily debated subject, but should it be when it comes to refugees fleeing life-threatening conditions?

Forcing families back into such conditions without a second thought is disturbing, and to the public, the EU’s failure to see that should be nothing short of alarming.

Remote Writer Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Hey, I’m Anyaa, a Behavioral Economist in the making who is currently doing a degree in Psychology. By nature, I’m a journalist who hopes to instigate conversations by sharing the stories and truths that make the world more comprehensible.

Popular

Keep up with thred by signing up to our planet-positive newsletter!

More from thred.

Lush shuts UK shops, factories, and website in solidarity with Gaza
Credit: Lush
Companies

Lush shuts UK shops, factories, and website in solidarity with Gaza

The high street cosmetics retailer has shut down its website, UK shops, and factories to protest Israel’s ongoing starvation of people in Gaza. On September 3rd, beauty retailer Lush announced it would be closing its website, shops, and factories across the UK to protest Israel’s forced starvation of Gaza’s 2.4 million population, of which half are children. All Lush facilities are currently shuttered for the day, displaying posters in the...

By London, UK
What’s up with A-level and GCSE grades in 2025?
Credit: Flickr
People

What’s up with A-level and GCSE grades in 2025?

Results season recently rolled around again, and with it came the usual mix of tears, relief, and a flurry of memes. But this year’s A-level and GCSE grades in the UK paint a particularly complicated picture - one that Gen Z students can’t afford to ignore. Why are grades shifting post-Covid? When Covid-19 shut down schools, traditional exams were replaced with teacher-assessed grades. That meant results in 2020 and 2021 were...

By London, UK
Amidst a cost of living crisis, children are the ultimate status symbol
Credit: Unsplash
People

Amidst a cost of living crisis, children are the ultimate status symbol

Large families are increasingly hard to achieve – and afford. As the cost of living continues to rise, have children become the ultimate status symbol? And what does this say about our values? In Britain today, raising a single child is enough to stretch most households to the edge of their means. Housing costs, childcare, food, and education make family planning a calculation in survival as much as sentiment. Against this...

By Brighton, UK
Accessibility