Saturday, January 25, 2020
Press Release
The Forum for Development and Human Rights Dialogue issued its first report on “illegal immigration. A nightmare that threatens humanity” on Saturday, January 25, which deals with the causes of the phenomenon of illegal immigration, its dual threat to human rights and the security of the stability of the Countries of the Middle East.
The report criticized the Turkish regime’s use of the issue of migrants to blackmail EU countries and neglect them to protect their own shores and worsening the security situation in Syria and Libya by supporting armed terrorist militias involved in smuggling and human trafficking.
The 52-page report noted the involvement of armed militias supporting the Libyan Government of Reconciliation in human trafficking operations, particularly in the Libyan city of Sabratha near Italy, which was also monitored by the UN mission, which referred to slave markets in western Libya under the auspices of these armed groups, which represents a flagrant violation of all human rights principles and charters. The Forum study highlights some frightening statistics from the United Nations regarding illegal migration, for example, figures indicated that as of 2017 there were 258 million migrants outside their homeland, compared to 173 million in 2000, and the study warned that a significant proportion of this figure had come out of the countries of the continent of Africa because of the conflicts and disasters suffered over the past decades.
The study warned of the growing extremist transnational terrorist movements in West Africa, particularly Boko Haram and al-Shabaab, jihadist movements belonging to al-Qaeda, as these terrorist movements have turned Western Africa into population-repellent homelands.
Some 8 million illegal immigrants left West Africa in 2018 only because of bloody conflict or religious and ethnic persecution.
Said Abdel Hafiz, president of the Forum, called for the need to address terrorism with global cooperation, especially in the affected areas, punish countries that export weapons to terrorist groups, especially in West Africa and jihadist groups, and start rehabilitation programs for refugees and their systematic settlement so that they are not a burden on host countries and develop civil society programs to confront the phenomenon and support young people in their countries.
