LIBYA, TUNISIA, AND NIGER AS CASE STUDIES FOR COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE ANTI-MIGRATION POLICIES

4 Introduction The Effect of the “Stabilization” Narrative on Migration Policies At least 25,000 migrants trying to reach Europe from Africa have died in the Mediterranean Sea since 2014,1 For decades, the international community has devoted a number that grossly underestimates the true scale of billions of euros in development and military aid to the this calamity by failing to account for the th. [...] At the Abu Salim detention center, the right and obligation that vessels have under maritime law denial of care for the sick led to the death of a woman as to rescue people in distress at sea, this leads to disastrous recently as August of last year.29 situations and the deaths of hundreds of people. [...] the EU is also voluntarily criminalizing the work of Although the number of deaths in the Sahara is unknown, humanitarian organizations such as Sea-Watch conducting the criminalization of desert crossings, supported by the Nigerien government and the EU, has made this corridor 29. [...] shows that the UNHCR, in agreement with the Libyan Although Libya is not a signatory to the 1951 refugee government and both funded by the EU, accepts only convention, the UNHCR has made the decision to remain nine nationalities34 to be eligible for the services of the in the war-torn country to at least try to assist some rather UN refugee agency and its partners or to receive paper than providin. [...] However, once the boats have leaving the country.43 The criminalization of the migration left, the traffickers call the local coast guard, which industry greatly affected the regional economy of Niger’s intercepts the boats, brings them back to shore, and then northern regions, as smugglers were briefly arrested and detains and extorts the migrants who were aboard.