mr president about two hundred and fifty eritrean migrants are believed to be held hostage in the sinai desert and inhumane treatment and rape are reported while these people await a ransom that needs to be paid to human traffickers for their release
recent events are part of a network smuggling sub-saharan migrants through egypt to israel that has been operating in the sinai since two thousand and seven
the egyptian authorities are making welcome efforts to investigate the information provided by the unhcr
diplomatic procedures with the egyptian authorities should be stepped up by the un high commissioner for refugees to eliminate the trafficking networks and prevent people from being smuggled
at the same time egypt should improve the treatment of refugees according to international standards
this means that during the justified defence of borders no excessive or even lethal force should be used against immigrants or refugees and this advice is something that we might also give ourselves in the eu once in a while
