The Abidat and Arabu: The Nigerian Migrants in Libya and International Migration Law

Abstract

 Many Nigerian migrants who attempt to enter Europe end in Libya in a
causeless twist to their migration story. Libya is not in any way prepared for
the accommodation of strangers—a well-spelt out policy in its law. Migrants and asylum-seekers to Libya enjoy no protection from international protection law because Libya is not a party to its tenets and obligations. The political crisis which engulfs the country escalates lawlessness where migrants and migrations become major sources of war financing. Migrants human rights are often violated. This study examines the relationship between migrants (Abidat) and the Arabs (Arabu) where migrants have no legal recourse both nationally and under international protection laws. This work is exploratory as primary sources of data are interviews with deportees who had been to Libya as illegal migrants. The study concludes that despite Libya’s disavowal of international protection law’s intervention in her asylum and migration system, international law can still intervene in Libya’s immigration policy by relying on international
humanitarian laws where Libya has certain obligations.