The European Parliament,

– having regard the Barcelona Declaration of November 1995;

– having regard the first Conference of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network in Cairo 26-27 January 2006;

A Whereas Egyptian security authorities are searching for hundreds of Eritrean refugees who the UNHCR says are being held hostage by Bedouin smugglers in Sinai after the refugees failed to pay the fees demanded by the smugglers to help them sneak into Israel;

B Whereas last Tuesday 7 December, the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said it was concerned about 250 Eritrean migrants believed to be held hostage in the Sinai desert;

C Whereas it is claimed that the traffickers are demanding payments of USD 8000 per person for their release, that people are being held in containers and are subject to abuses;

D Whereas a joint appeal issued on 1 December by non-governmental organizations said that hundreds of illegal refugees from the Horn of Africa have been held for months on the outskirts of a town in Sinai;

E Whereas the hostages had already paid USD 2.000 for their passage to Israel, according to the NGOs, who described the refugees as being treated by the smugglers in an extremely degrading and inhumane manner;

F Whereas local officials from North Sinai said security authorities have been actively searching for the Eritreans who are said to be held in scattered groups.

1. Urges the Egyptian authorities to take all necessary measures to secure the release of Eritreans held hostage; to avoid the use of lethal force against illegal migrants crossing the borders of the country, to protect their dignity and their physical and psychological integrity and to guarantee that detained migrants have the ability to contact UNHCR and allow UNHCR access to all asylum seekers and refugees in state custody;

2. Appreciates the ongoing efforts exerted by the Egyptian authorities in verifying the information mentioned in the reports issued by the UNHCR regarding a group of some 250 Eritreans being held hostage in Sinai, by traffickers in violation of national laws and human rights principles;

3. Underlines that the Sinai desert border has become a trafficking route for African migrants seeking jobs; thousands of Eritreans each year flee the country, with many heading for Israel;

4. Recalls that in August seven people were killed in clashes with smugglers near the border with Israel after African migrants held by traffickers seized the weapons of their captors in a bid to escape;

5. Takes note that Israel began work in November on a 250km fence along the border designed to stop the influx of illegal migrants;

6. Welcomes Egypt’s efforts in combating Human Trafficking specially the establishment of ‘the National Coordinating Committee for combating and preventing trafficking in persons’ in the year 2007, and calling on all countries to resume their efforts in facing the challenge of Human trafficking crimes world wide, and to respect relevant national laws;

7. Appreciates Egypt’s continuous commitment in fulfilling its obligations under international treaties, in particular under the 1951 Refugees Convention;

8. Acknowledges that any refugee seeker who participates in acts threatening, directly or indirectly, the safety and independence of the host country, should be considered a threat to its national security according to UNHCR terms;

9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the High Representative / Vice-President, the Council and the Commission, to the Governments and the Parliaments of the Member States, to the Egyptian Government, to the UN Secretary General and the UN Human Rights Council.

For Immediate Release

17 November 2010

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION ON ERITREAN REFUGEES HELD HOSTAGE IN SINAI

The European Parliament has passed a resolution on the Eritrean refugees being held hostage by people traffickers in the Sinai Desert, urging the Egyptian authorities to take “all necessary measures” to secure their release, and to allow the UNHCR access to all refugees and asylum seekers in state custody, including those in the Sinai.

Over 250 refugees and asylum seekers from Eritrea, Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia have been imprisoned for over a month in purpose-built facilities by Bedouin people traffickers in the Sinai Desert. The traffickers are demanding payment of up to US$8,000 per person for their release despite charging them US$2,000 for passage to Israel. The refugees have been restrained with chains around their ankles, subjected to torture including electric shocks, beatings and branding. They are denied adequate food and water, and women in the group are repeatedly raped.

The European Parliament resolution comes after Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), Agenzia Habeshia, EveryOne Group and Human Rights Concern Eritrea issued a joint appeal for urgent international intervention on behalf of the refugees. The appeal, which was referenced in the text of the resolution, highlighted the degrading and inhumane conditions suffered by the refugees.

While the resolution describes the Egyptian authorities in North Sinai as “actively searching” for the refugees, several news agencies report the Egyptian Foreign Minister denying all knowledge of their plight. Although Italian NGOs Agenzia Habeshia and EveryOne Group filed a lawsuit in Cairo against named traffickers, and passed on details of the precise location of the initial detention facility, little progress has been made by the Egyptian government in apprehending the traffickers or liberating the asylum seekers.

On 10 December 100 Eritrean refugees were separated from the group and it is feared they were sold on to another gang of traffickers. Two Orthodox deacons were murdered and Agenzia Habeshia also reports that others in the group were beaten, tortured and forced to drink their own urine after being denied water.

CSW’s Advocacy Director Andrew Johnston said, “CSW welcomes the resolution by the European Parliament. It not only puts the spotlight on the appalling situation in the Sinai, but also focuses on many other refugees in Egypt, some of whom are held in detention, and all of whom are not being afforded the protection to which they are entitled under international law. The resolution also highlights the existence of a well-established trafficking network in the Sinai, and that many refugees and asylum seekers from the Horn of Africa, including children, are regularly held hostage for ransom in various locations for weeks or even months. However, while we welcome the resolution, clearly the time for action is now long overdue. We therefore call for sustained international pressure on the Egyptian government to ensure that it takes decisive measures to end trafficking within its borders, that all detained refugees are set free and have access to the local branch of the UNHCR.”

For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Kiri Kankhwende, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0) 78 2332 9663, email kiri@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk.

CSW is the UK’s leading human rights advocacy organisation specialising in religious freedom, working on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and promoting religious liberty for all.

Notes to Editors

1. The resolution by the European Parliament can be read here: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/activities/plenary/ta.do?language=EN