LIBYA / MIGRANT SAFETY

In Tripoli, around one thousand Sub- Saharan Africans fled their homes in the city early in the war to an abandoned fishing port. Most say they are scared to return to Tripoli, nor can they leave the country on their own. Unable to work, they are living on meagre savings. UNHCR

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:53
• Production Date: 6 September 2011
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES - UNHCR
• Subject Topical: REFUGEES; DISPLACED PERSONS
• Geographic Subject: LIBYA; SOMALIA
• MAMS Id: U110906d

Description

STORY: LIBYA / MIGRANT SAFETY
TRT: 2:53
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE:
DATELINE: 5 SEPTEMBER 2011, TRIPOLI, LIBYA

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, Tripoli view from a burned car
2. Wide shot, garbage put into fire in streets
3. Wide shot, CNT soldier at cross road
4. Pan right, destroyed building
5. Wide shot, Sedee Belal an abandoned fishing port 27 kms. west of Tripoli
6. Med shot, people lined up at a water distribution
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Samuel Cheung, UNHCR Senior Protection Officer:
"The situation facing migrants today is extremely difficult especially for those from
Sub-Saharan Africa. Many of them have lived in Libya for several years, have established homes and livelihoods but now have been uprooted by the conflict and are displaced and face situations very similar to that of refugees.”
8. Med shot, Peter Joseph, a 25 year old man from Nigeria
9. Med shot, men sitting inside the boat.
10. Pan left, man washing clothes
11. Various shots, three men eating rice
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Peter Joseph 25 years old: Nigerian migrant who worked for five years in Libya and has been living on an abandoned fishing boat for five months:
"Right now I don't think this country is no longer safe for us blacks. You have to take us away from this country, a safer place for us, where we can work and feed our family."
13. Wide shot, Paul Adoh and his wife Sofia Adoh entering their boat
14. Wide shot, Paul Adoh sitting with his fellow migrants on the boat they now call home
15.SOUNDBITE (English ) Paul Adoh, Ghana migrant worker, five-year handyman career laying tiles in Libya along with his eight-month pregnant wife Sofia have been living in dire conditions on a fishing boat docked in Sedee Belal west of Tripoli:
"They don't want to see blacks in the town, that´s why I am afraid. I have to stay here with my wife. She is eight months pregnant right now. I can't stay in the town with her, I have to get right here with blacks so that I'll be safe.”
16.SOUNDBITE (English) Sofia Adoh, eight months pregnant, wife of Paul Adoh:
"We've lost our homes, we've lost everything the money they clothes everything, so nothing left, we are stuck here.”
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Opare Addo, migrant worker, Ghana:
"Formerly things was okay, although it wasn't good, but when you do something bad you'd be arrested. But now there is no law, there is no permanent government so there is no law. If you do anything, you just go free.”
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Wisdom Ehizele, migrant worker, Nigeria:
"The discrimination of blacks is just too high now. So we don't believe to stay, we have to leave for a better place now.”
19. Med shot, group of African migrant sleeping under a boat
20. Med shot, two stranded migrants playing a boardgame

Storyline

The old regime is reported to be gone in the Libyan capital Tripoli, but a new one has yet to take its place.

For Sub- Saharan Africans, the resulting vacuum in law and order may be proving to be particularly dangerous.

In Tripoli, around one thousand fled their homes in the city early in the war to an abandoned fishing port. Most say they are too scared to return to Tripoli. They can’t leave the country on their own, are unable to work, living on meagre savings.

SOUNDBITE (English) Samuel Cheung, UNHCR Senior Protection Officer, Libya:
"The situation facing migrants today is extremely difficult especially for those from
Sub-Saharan Africa. Many of them have lived in Libya for several years, have established homes and livelihoods but now have been uprooted by the conflict and are displaced and face situations very similar to that of refugees.”

This man came to Libya five years ago and has been living in an abandoned fishing boat for five months.

SOUNDBITE (English) Peter Joseph, 25 years old, migrant worker:
"Right now I don't think this country is no longer safe for us blacks. You have to take us away from this country, a safer place for us, where we can work and feed our family.”

Paul Adoh and his wife Sofia Adoh saved up 4,500 Euros after working for five years in Libya but that was stolen and now all he his wife and two children have is a mattress for a home.

He says in Libya there is safety in numbers

SOUNDBITE (English) Paul Adoh, Migrant worker:
"They don't want to see blacks in the town. That́s why I am afraid. I have to stay here with my wife. She is eight months pregnant right now. I can't stay in the town with her, I have to get right here with black so that I'll be safe.”

SOUNDBITE (English) Sofia Adoh, wife of Paul Adoh:
"We've lost our homes, we've lost everything the money they clothes everything, so nothing left, we are stuck here.”

This man from Ghana says that there is a vacuum in Libya:

SOUNDBITE (English) Opare Addo, migrant worker, Ghana:
"Formerly things was okay, although it wasn't good, but when you do something bad you'd be arrested. But now there is no law, there is no permanent government so there is no law. If you do anything, you just go free.”

SOUNDBITE (English) Wisdom Ehizele, migrant worker, Nigeria:
"The discrimination of blacks is just too high now. So we don't believe to stay, we have to leave for a better place now.”