A rally was held in Rome’s Piazza Vidoni on Saturday, where NGOs, refugees, and human rights groups gathered to demand an end to the Italy-Libya memorandum. The demonstration came just days after Italy’s Chamber of Deputies renewed the 2017 agreement for another three years. The memorandum aims to curb irregular migration by empowering the Libyan coast guard to intercept boats and return migrants to Libya.
Survivors of Libyan detention centers shared harrowing testimonies of torture, extortion, and violence at a press conference. Rashed, a Sudanese refugee, described being detained, tortured, and forced to witness executions. Another survivor detailed the extortion and violence inside the notorious Tajura concentration camp, where migrants are forced to pay ransoms to secure their release.
Activists argue that the memorandum enables systematic abuse and that Italy is complicit in human rights violations. David Yambio, a survivor and co-founder of Refugees in Libya, emphasized that those intercepted at sea are returned to the same cycle of abuse in Libyan prisons. Despite mounting evidence of abuse, Italy’s right-wing majority argues that the agreement is essential to fight traffickers and prevent dangerous crossings.
According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 28,000 migrants have died crossing the Mediterranean in the past decade. Hassan Nugud, of the migrant association Welcome United, stated that the sea has become a “gigantic cemetery” and that Italy is complicit in crimes against humanity. Protestors called for an end to the memorandum, an end to deaths at sea, and for the upholding of human rights for all.
The renewal of the memorandum has sparked controversy, with many arguing that it prioritizes border control over human life. The agreement has been criticized for enabling the Libyan coast guard to intercept and return migrants to Libya, where they face abuse and exploitation. As the debate continues, the international community is being urged to take action to protect the rights and lives of migrants. The protest in Rome serves as a reminder of the need for a more humane and sustainable approach to migration policy.
