The smuggling activity in Libya is nothing new. However, many big changes were brought on by the 2011 revolution. A research report from March 2017 by author Mark Micallef from the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime highlights, through a multi-layered and cross-country field research, several consequences that emerged from the smuggling activity in the aftermath of the Libyan Revolution.
Yesterday, 07 March 2017, the European Court of Justice ruled its decision on humanitarian visas in the European Union and came to the conclusion that member states cannot be obliged to admit asylum seekers on humanitarian grounds, even if they are at risk of torture or inhuman treatment. The court ruled on a on the case of a Syrian family of five from Aleppo. The family initially applied for a visa to Belgium at the Belgian Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon but the Belgian Immigration Office refused the visa because it was clear that the family intended to overstay it.
In the past week, two reports have highlighted the dangers faced by refugees and migrants on their route to Europe. A report by UNICEF highlights the dangers faced by women and children on the route from North Africa to Italy. A report by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) highlights the desperate situation of many Eritrean refugees, criticising the EU for creating policies to keep them out, along with other migrants and refugees.