by Kenneth Dareng, Nigeria, September, 1997
THEME = SOCIAL CONDIT.
Libya is home to several hundred stranded immigrants who have entered the country from other African countries such as Niger, Sudan, Chad, Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria. Some of these people, mainly the younger generation, are immigrants or economic refugees who went to Libya, looking for a better way of life. Some go to Libya with the hope of crossing over to Europe.
Despite the hardships involved during the journey, hundreds have crossed into Libya, many without valid travel documents. When they are stopped by the police or military, they are sometimes taken into the desert and left there as a punishment. An alternative "treatment", is deportation to the border outpost of Madama, where they are dumped without their luggage. Most would-be "guests" in Libya, end up in the notorious detention centre (popularly known as "Zazoo"). It's well-known as a place where torture is inflicted on the "residents".
Meanwhile, Libyan military officials posted to border areas are enjoying a brisk business from international passport racketeering. These particular military officials, inspect the travellers' passports and frequently don't return them to their owners. Instead, they are sold to a syndicate which specialises in re-selling such passports to travellers who have either lost their own passports, or who need a particular passport for who knows what? It is suspected that there are important officials involved in this racket. Some people are bold enough to impersonate the person described on the stolen passport.
AApart from seizing passengers travel documents, Libyan immigration officials conduct body searches on travellers of both sexes, mostly looking for valuables. Women travellers are left to the "tender mercies" of the immigration officials.
Immigrants are looked upon with great suspicion, as Ghaddafi has impressed on his fellow citizens, that Libyans are superior to any other race in the world. So what happens to those immigrants who do enter the country illegally? The menfolk sometimes manage to find employment in Libyan homes, washing dishes, cleaning toilets and bathrooms, sweeping. Those who are not lucky enough to get these kind of jobs, go to the "Shogol Ground", which is a place where labourers are hired for menial jobs. All illegal immigrants have to take great care that they are not picked up by the military authorities.
Female illegal immigrants have even greater problems in finding work, as in Muslim Libya, women are not usually allowed out to work. Their place is at home. The only alternative for earning a living is to turn to prostitution. In Libya, this "business" is controlled by a syndicate known as the "Connection Syndicate".
Immigrants who find themselves stranded in Libya, either have only themselves to blame for not seeking adequate information before setting out on their journey, or they have been misinformed. Many went because they had heard Libya was a land "flowing with milk and honey". They are still looking for these commodities!
Farm workers are exploited, by being paid a very meagre allowance for their work. Some masters say that because they are providing three meals a day, the worker has no right to any salary. Frequently, salaries are in arrears, and the poor worker prefers to say nothing as he is afraid of being arrested. However, some people prefer farm work because it keeps them away from police harassment.
Chadians constitute the largest number of immigrants. Most of them are engaged in the transport business, which means they are also responsible for smuggling the majority of illegal immigrants into Libya. Libya is known to be supporting many rebel factions from Chad, whilst, at the same time, arming Chad's army. Among these rebel factions are drug barons who have made their fortune by dubious means. They now control a whole drugs' network.
The Libyan Immigration Service has categorically refuted allegations levelled against its officials. At the same time, is quick to add that their officials cannot simply stand by and watch people of questionable identity, enter the country without any travel documents or international health certificates. The Immigration Service has promised to investigate the recent death of about 120 people in the desert, mostly illegal immigrants travelling from Niger to Libya.
The Nigerian embassy in Tripoli issued a recent statement, saying that it can only assist Nigerians who are staying in Libya legally. Nigerians in Libya were quick to react. "After all", they said, "aren't our embassies supposed to help their nationals?" Nigerians have also accused the Nigerian embassy of only being interested in cases where financial "compensation" has been offered.
The situation of immigrants in Libya is an unhappy one, and steps must be taken to come to the aid of those, who for one reason or another, have had to leave their own countries, and seek sanctuary in another country...which in this case, happens to be Libya.
END