As more than 12,000 Bangladeshi migrant workers, fleeing Libya, languish in a desert camp in subhuman conditions, aid workers here warn that repatriation of these desperate people could take months unless drastic international steps are taken.
Officials of International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the UNHCR, jointly running an operation cell at this ever expanding camp, warn of a grand scale humanitarian crisis if repatriation process is not started soon.
Unable to cope with the situation, aid workers were calling in help from locals. On the desert road, Tunisians were seen taking all they could in their vehicles to help the fleeing workers.
In the morning, as I reached the Choucha camp near the Tunisia-Libya border, news of my arrival from The Daily Star in Bangladesh attracted hundreds of weary young men of all ages. All had the same complaints. They were robbed, beaten, tortured and raped in Libya as they tried to flee to Tunisian border from different parts of the trouble-torn country.
All had to line up for up to five hours to get food and drinking water and all were too tired to move in the scorching sun during day time and sub-zero temperatures at night.
Last night 71 more Bangladeshi migrant workers fled Libya and entered Tunisia. The border camp of Choucha is also receiving hundreds of African migrants, who emerged as severe headache for aid workers.
As about 100 Bangladeshis lined up for water distributed under the supervision of at least 37 different local and international bodies, some tough young men from some African countries tried to force their way into the source of the water -- several taps connected to mounted water reservoirs. Tunisian army guarded the camps but the Africans were too thirsty to fear anything.
I talked to Lutfur Rahman of Manikganj, Atiar Rahman of Jhenidah, Ahad Hosssain of Gaibandha and many other Bangladeshis. They said they saw hoodlums in military uniform abduct a Bangladeshi nurse while they were fleeing Libya.
“These military men stopped our bus in which we were fleeing. A Bangladeshi nurse was also travelling with us,” said Monir Hossain Fakir from Bhola. “They forced the woman out of the bus and asked the driver to drive on.”
I also talked to Soumaya Beltifa, communications officer and spokesperson of the International Committee for Red Cross, which is providing free telephone service for the refugees.
She said she had heard of atrocities on these migrant workers but could do little until her organisation could enter Libya. “We are all taken by surprise at the extent of exodus of these migrant workers from Libya,” said Beltifa. “It will take months to repatriate these people.”
Omari Jumbe of the IOM said the biggest problem was to get the funds for the repatriation. Taking back each of the migrants costs about $1,000. Availability of flights is another issue.
IOM and UNHCR official sources said the $27 million they had received from the UN would run out today with more than 50 flights operated so far from Egypt and Tunisia.
As they are getting the money piecemeal so there is no scope of chalking out a grand plan for the repatriation, said an IOM source, adding, “A single flight on a jumbo jet with 450 people would cost half a million dollars.”
A major issue is bureaucracy at the level of donors, a UNHCR source said.
“We urgently need to open a line of credit… otherwise it [the repatriation] will take months,” the official added.
Aid workers cited the example of Egyptian government which took initiative to repatriate so far 63,000 of its nationals fleeing Libyan troubles and sheltering in different countries.
“Governments' concern is important but in the case of Bangladesh there seems no hurry at all,” alleged the IOM source.
He said last Wednesday when the IOM was sending about 1,000 migrant workers from Djerba International Airport a Bangladeshi embassy official fell into the hands of angry people. “They shouted slogans against the Bangladeshi embassy official and chased him out of the lounge,” said the IOM source.
The first migrant workers started coming into Tunisia on February 28. The number slowly grew and then descended as the Libyan hoodlums started attacking the fleeing workers.
News Source: The Daily Star