Protect refugees

Letter July 07, 2019
After an air strike killed an estimated 53 refugees on a detention centre for migrants in Libya

TURBAT: An estimated 53 refugees were killed in an air strike on a detention centre for undocumented migrants in Libya on Wednesday. Attacks targeting civilians are deplorable as it is, but targeting refugees is even worse. These refugees leave their native countries in hopes for a better life, but most of them are unable to reach their destinations safely. Libya is one of the main points of departure for refugees from the African continent, due to its close proximity to Europe. Hence, the country is responsible for holding refugees at the border to prevent them from going further. According to reports, Wednesday’s air strikes targeted a garage and a hangar which injured most of the 120 refugees present there. A few days prior to this, the Libyan army had announced it would begin attacks on government buildings. The UN claims the army could possibly be involved in the attacks. Unfortunately, neither the UN nor the governments of the world have managed to successfully handle the refugee crisis by resettling them in comfortable homes. Last week, we saw a picture of a father and his infant daughter who had drowned while trying to cross a river by the American border. The refugee crisis is predicted to deepen the next year, and we need to play our part to protect them.

Abdul Hakeem Qadir

Published in The Express Tribune, July 7th, 2019.

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