European report “urges” the EU to continue training programs for the Libyan Coast Guard

 A secret security report, which was supervised by a special department of the European Union, called for the need to continue the union's controversial program to train and equip the Libyan coast guard forces, despite growing concerns about reports that revealed "ill-treatment of migrants" by the Libyan authorities when they are at sea.

The European Union, led by Italy, is training and equipping the Libyan Coast Guard to act as an acting naval force, with its primary goal being “humanitarian rescue” across the Mediterranean, while human rights organizations consider the real goal to be “preventing migrants from reaching European shores.”

 The report, submitted to European Union officials this month and obtained by The Associated Press, provides a glimpse into European efforts to "support Libya in the interception and return of tens of thousands of men, women and children to Libya, where they face grave abuse."

The Libyan Coast Guard takes over the task

 UN reports say that "the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), the European Union Naval Force for the Mediterranean (Operation IRINI) and EU member states have encouraged the Libyan Coast Guard to assume more responsibility for search and rescue operations in international waters.  At the same time, emphasizing that "the Libyan Coast Guard did not exercise due diligence and guarantees to observe human rights, which led to an increase in interception, rejection and return to Libya, where migrants continue to suffer grave human rights violations."

 'Excessive use of force'

 The aforementioned report, prepared by Italian Admiral Stefano Torchetto, commander of military operations in the Mediterranean, acknowledges the “excessive use of force” by the Libyan Coast Guard towards irregular migrants, adding that the instructions that form the basis for training EU forces “have not been followed properly.”  That it should be.”

 'Political deadlock' in Libya

 The EU report stresses that “political stalemate” in Libya has hampered the European training agenda, noting that the country’s internal divisions make it difficult to mobilize political support to enforce “appropriate standards of behavior consistent with human rights, particularly when dealing with irregular migrants.”

 No response to the report

 The European Commission and the European Union's External Action Service have not commented on the report.  But the spokesperson for the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano confirmed that the EU is "committed to training coast guard personnel and enhancing Libya's capacity to manage large search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean," noting that the European Union's training program "still exists to increase  The ability of the Libyan authorities to save lives at sea,” he said.

 "The abuse of irregular refugees"

 For months, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) has been facing repeated criticism from many human rights organizations and civil society organizations, against the background of the mechanisms of operating its agency at the borders bordering European countries, where it is accused of mistreating irregular refugees.

 Reducing marine search and rescue operations

 In May, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said the EU and member states had "dramatically curtailed maritime search and rescue operations, while humanitarian NGOs were prevented from carrying out rescue operations."  According to the United Nations, “the failure to protect the human rights of migrants at sea is the result of political decisions and practical practices adopted by the Libyan authorities, EU member states and institutions, and other actors.”