Libya unity govt slams Hungary call for ‘refugee city’

By Osama Ali

TRIPOLI

The Libyan unity government has decried a proposal by Hungry to establish a “city for refugees” in the North African country.

Speaking at a summit of EU leaders in Vienna on Saturday, Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban said a “giant refugee city” should be built on the Libyan coast to process asylum claims before they reach to Europe.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Libyan Foreign Ministry termed Orban’s call as a “violation to Libya’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence”.

“This is a brazen breach of the UN Charter and all international agreements and norms,” the statement said.

The ministry said Orban’s call “does not serve cooperation between Libya, Hungary and EU countries”.

On Tuesday, some 170 Libyan activists signed a statement rejecting the Hungarian proposal and sent it to diplomatic representatives of the EU, UN, the African Union and Arab League in Libya.

Libya has been roiled by chaos since the ouster and death of strongman Muammar Gaddafi following a 2011 popular uprising.

The conflict-ridden country is a key gateway for thousands fleeing turmoil in Libya for a better life in Europe.

According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), there are more than 264,000 refugees and migrants currently in the war-torn country.