Protests against trade in refugees in Libya

A CNN video that purportedly documents migrants in Libya being sold in a slave auction has shocked the world. Over the last few days thousands of citizens across Europe have demonstrated against Europe's refugee policy and slave trading in Libya. Europe's press blames its politicians for the plight of the migrants in the Northern African state.

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Efimerida ton Syntakton (GR) /

Demonstrations are pointless

Demonstrating against the conditions in Libya is basically a waste of time, Efimerida ton Syntakton argues:

“The demonstrators demand that the Libyan slave trade be stopped. But by whom? Today's Libya is a strange state. There is no Libyan-Arab Jamahiriya [such as existed under Gaddafi], no popular democracy, no Islamic, socialist or any other kind of democracy. Various factions fight each other, control what they can and try to take control of other regions. The Arab Spring brought a harsh winter to the warm continent. ... Slavery, uncontrolled violence - it's as if the history of humanity had started over from scratch.”

Le Courrier (CH) /

Europe becomes an accomplice to criminals

The EU bears partial blame for the atrocities in Libya, writes Gustavo Kuhn, editor-in-chief of Le Courrier:

“The chaos into which Libya plunged after Gaddafi's death has exacerbated the excesses, as the country is now subject to the laws of the militias and human traffickers. And the international coalition led by France which hastened Gaddafi's end before making itself scarce bears a large part of the blame. … In the current situation, taking firm action to prevent refugees and migrants from leaving Libya's shores boils down to becoming an accomplice to the crimes committed on the other side of the Mediterranean. No policy of 'border protection' can justify that. No matter how many declarations of good will accompany these actions.”