[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 115 (Tuesday, July 10, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H6017-H6019]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      CONDEMNING SLAVE AUCTIONS OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES IN LIBYA

  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 644) strongly condemning the slave 
auctions of migrants and refugees in Libya, and for other purposes, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 644

       Whereas Libya has become the primary transit hub for 
     migrants and refugees attempting to reach Southern Europe;
       Whereas in December 2016, the United Nations Office of the 
     High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that many 
     migrants and refugees in Libya are forced to work without pay 
     as farm laborers, domestic workers, construction workers, and 
     rubbish collectors;
       Whereas beginning in 2017, multiple news and international 
     organizations began reporting on the existence of slave 
     auctions of migrants and refugees in Libya;
       Whereas the Department of State's Trafficking in Persons 
     Report 2017 for Libya stated that migrants held in detention 
     centers controlled by both Libya's Department to Combat 
     Irregular Migration (DCIM) and non-state armed groups are 
     subject to severe abuse, rampant sexual violence, forced 
     labor, and other human rights abuses;
       Whereas on February 12, 2018, the United Nations Secretary-
     General reported to the United Nations Security Council that 
     the humanitarian situation in Libya had recently deteriorated 
     further, and that ``Refugees and migrants continued to be 
     subjected to violence, forced labor, and other grave 
     violations and abuses.'';
       Whereas the Presidency Council of the Government of 
     National Accord affirmed the depravity of slavery and human 
     trafficking and initiated an investigation into such acts 
     within Libya;
       Whereas a September 2017, report from the United Nations 
     International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) determined 
     that unaccompanied children who crossed the Mediterranean 
     from Libya suffered enslavement, violence, and sexual abuse 
     at the hands of smugglers and traffickers;
       Whereas in November 2017, a joint European Union-African 
     Union-United Nations Task Force was established to protect 
     migrants along migration routes to, from, and in Libya;
       Whereas since December 2017, the International Organization 
     for Migration has facilitated the return of more than 15,000 
     migrants to their homes from Libya through a voluntary 
     humanitarian program, and the United Nations High 
     Commissioner for Refugees has evacuated more than 1,300 
     refugees from Libya as of March 2018;
       Whereas the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya in 2011 led to 
     significant political turmoil and insecurity within the 
     country;
       Whereas in December 2017, the Libyan Political Agreement 
     was reaffirmed as the internationally-supported framework for 
     creating a unified Libyan government;
       Whereas, despite this agreement, the prolonged and 
     continuing absence of a unified Libyan government has 
     resulted in a power vacuum in which human trafficking and 
     smuggling have emerged as a lucrative trade and funds 
     obtained from the transfer, sale, and exploitation of 
     migrants are used to fund armed militias competing for 
     territory, influence, and control of institutions; and
       Whereas the United States has repeatedly condemned slavery, 
     involuntary servitude, and other elements of trafficking as a 
     grave violation of human rights and a matter of pressing 
     international concern: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) strongly condemns slave auctions and the exploitation 
     of migrants and refugees as forced laborers in Libya;
       (2) calls upon all parties to the conflict in Libya, 
     including parties to the Libyan Political Agreement, to--
       (A) investigate and eradicate slave auctions and forced 
     labor involving migrants and refugees;
       (B) hold those identified in the investigation accountable 
     in courts of law;
       (C) manage migration flows and migrant detention centers in 
     a humane manner; and
       (D) investigate how funds earned through the transfer, 
     sale, and exploitation of migrants are used and the extent to 
     which such profits are fueling and prolonging Libya's civil 
     conflict;
       (3) calls upon the United Nations to--
       (A) investigate allegations of the slave trade and other 
     forced labor in Libya;
       (B) advocate that all parties to the conflict in Libya, 
     including parties to the Libyan Political Agreement, allow 
     the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to 
     regularly monitor and publicly report on the situation of all 
     refugees and migrants in Libya, including those in detention 
     centers; and
       (C) expand sanctions under United Nations Security Council 
     Resolution 2174 (2014) against individuals and entities 
     responsible for slave auctions and forced labor of migrants 
     and refugees in Libya;
       (4) calls upon the Secretary of State and the Administrator 
     of the United States Agency for International Development to 
     ensure that any strategies, programs, or other efforts to 
     address the political and security situation in Libya 
     appropriately address the vulnerabilities faced by migrants 
     and refugees; and
       (5) urges the Secretary of State to ensure that the country 
     narrative for Libya in the annual Trafficking in Persons 
     Report fully and accurately reflects the scope of trafficking 
     in persons in that country, including any complicity by 
     parties to the Libyan Political Agreement or other 
     governmental entities, as required by section 110 of the 
     Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include any extraneous material in the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, let me start by thanking Congresswoman Bass, the ranking 
member of our subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human 
Rights, and International Organizations. I thank her for authoring this 
important resolution, because modern-day slavery continues to devastate 
the lives of tens of millions of human beings around the world. The 
perpetrators of these dastardly, disgusting acts prey on the 
defenseless. They prey on those without power, including preying on 
young children.

                              {time}  1700

  I think many of us have had an opportunity or a responsibility to 
work with survivors of human trafficking in our districts. I can tell 
you that one of the things that it taught me was the horror of 
trafficking lies not in statistics; it lies in stolen lives.
  These crimes are common for one reason: they are profitable and 
people get away with it. The International Labor Organization estimates 
that there is $150 billion in illegal profit made from forced labor 
each year, making human trafficking the third most valuable criminal 
enterprise on the planet and providing fuel to violent extremist 
organizations.
  Unfortunately, Libya has become a major center of human trafficking. 
The country continues to be a fractured and failed state. There is no 
government to control its territory. This vacuum, when combined with 
Libya's proximity to Europe, has made Libya the primary transit hub for 
migrants from sub-Saharan Africa attempting to reach Europe.
  Various bad actors, including extremist groups, have taken advantage, 
profiting from the unrest by mercilessly preying on migrants and 
refugees from some of the poorest and most war-torn countries in the 
world. News reports tell of people being forced to work without pay; 
others have shown people being sold at slave auctions in Libya.
  The resolution before us today rightfully condemns these dehumanizing 
acts and calls on all parties in Libya to investigate these crimes and 
to hold perpetrators accountable. It urges the United Nations to 
investigate and to impose sanctions against those responsible for these 
abuses, and it calls for greater access for the U.N. High Commissioner 
for Human Rights to monitor and publicly report on refugees and 
migrants in Libya.
  Finally, the resolution calls on the administration to address these 
issues in a strategy to tackle Libya's political and security 
challenges, and to ensure

[[Page H6018]]

that the Department of State's annual Trafficking in Persons Report 
fully reflects the situation in Libya.
  The Government of National Accord in Tripoli has made some 
encouraging steps toward investigating some of these crimes, but all 
parties, nationally and internationally, must do more to stop this 
exploitation.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan 
resolution, which puts the House on record as standing against modern-
day slavery and other forms of human trafficking in Libya.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure.
  I thank the ranking member of the Africa, Global Health, Global Human 
Rights, and International Organizations Subcommittee, Ms. Karen Bass of 
California, for her hard work on this legislation.
  For several years, Libya has been a hub for African migration to 
Europe, with an estimated 700,000 to 1 million refugees and migrants 
currently in the country.
  Last year, I was shocked and horrified to see multiple news reports 
documenting the existence of slave auctions in Libya, where these 
migrants and refugees were put up for sale. It is unbelievable that, in 
the year 2018, we could still have slavery anywhere in the world, just 
absolutely unbelievable.
  Since then, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights found that 
many migrants who enter Libya are forced to work for no pay. This is 
also unacceptable. We cannot accept a world where human beings are 
auctioned off, treated like property. It is unbelievable. These are 
some of the most vulnerable people in the world, and we cannot stand by 
as they are mistreated.
  This resolution strongly condemns slave auctions and the exploitation 
of migrants and refugees as forced laborers in Libya. It also calls 
upon all parties to the conflict in Libya to investigate and eradicate 
slave auctions and forced labor involving migrants and refugees, to 
hold those identified in the investigation accountable in courts of 
law, and to examine the extent to which profits earned through the 
exploitation of these migrants may be fueling conflict in Libya.
  Importantly, the measure also calls upon the United Nations to 
investigate this slave trade and forced labor in Libya and expand U.N. 
Security Council sanctions against individuals and entities responsible 
for this atrocity. The international community must hold accountable 
those who are responsible for these heinous crimes.
  It is also important that we have full information so that we can 
address this issue and understand what we are dealing with. That is why 
it is so important that this resolution also urges the Secretary of 
State to ensure that Libya is fully and accurately covered in the 
annual Trafficking in Persons Report. This measure sends a clear 
message. By passing it today, we say, unequivocally, that we will not 
stand for this inhumanity.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan measure, 
and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 5 minutes to 
the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass), the very distinguished 
ranking member of the Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and 
International Organizations Subcommittee of the Foreign Affairs 
Committee.
  Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 644, 
strongly condemning the slave auctions of migrants and refugees in 
Libya, and for other purposes.
  In November 2017, CNN broke a story about modern-day slavery in Libya 
with a grainy video that shows an auctioneer standing in front of a 
group of young men shouting: ``Big strong boys for farm work. 400, 700, 
800.'' The video left people shocked and sparked protests outside of 
Libyan Embassies here in the U.S. and across Africa and Europe.
  In April 2017, the U.N. Migration Agency, the International 
Organization for Migration, gathered evidence and issued a warning 
about slave markets in Libya. While there were warning signs from 
various organizations that migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers were 
suffering abuse, it took actual video evidence for the world to pay 
attention.

  Libya has become a primary transit hub for migrants and refugees 
attempting to reach Southern Europe by sea, and various organizations 
estimate that there are between 400,000 and 1 million migrants and 
refugees in the country. Refugees and migrants are routinely subjected 
to grave human rights abuses committed by Libyan officials and security 
forces, as well as armed groups and criminal gangs who are often 
working in close cooperation and to mutual financial advantage.
  How did we get here and what is the solution to this crisis?
  Refugees and migrants in Libya are exposed to horrendous human rights 
violations in a country where institutions have been weakened by years 
of conflict and political division. The end of Qadhafi's regime in 2011 
led to significant political turmoil and insecurity within Libya. Since 
then, there has been no effective government in place in the country. 
Today, three governments, divided along geographical and ideological 
lines, combine for power, each with limited control over parts of the 
country. The collapse of government and security institutions has made 
the trafficking in refugees a lucrative business.
  This resolution condemns slave auctions and the exploitation of 
migrants and refugees as forced laborers in Libya. It also calls upon 
all parties to the conflict, including parties to the Libyan Political 
Agreement, to investigate and eradicate the slave auctions and to 
manage migration flows and migrant detention centers in a humane 
manner.
  I want to also mention that the Congressional Black Caucus was at the 
head of this effort. We immediately called upon the Libyan Ambassador 
to come to the Hill to explain what was happening in the country and 
how the government intended to respond.
  I have to say that she was very open in stating that the country 
needs the help of the international community to address this crisis. 
And she explained to us that she was aware that there were parts of her 
country that basically were not governed by any of the three 
governments and that they needed international assistance to manage 
this.
  These auctions exposed the interconnected and complex nature of this 
crisis. Any solution to this problem will require a holistic and 
comprehensive strategy for Libya and the sending countries across 
Africa that promotes democratic governance, rule of law, respect for 
human rights, and creating economic opportunities.
  The United States must remain focused and continue to promote U.S. 
values at home and around the world. This includes speaking out 
publicly when we see human rights abuses.
  The bottom line is that slavery is a crime against humanity, and we 
cannot sit idly by while people around the world are exploited. I join 
my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in support of this bipartisan 
resolution strongly condemning the slave auctions of migrants and 
refugees in Libya.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  In closing, the United States cannot stand by as human beings are 
auctioned off, forced to work for no pay, and treated without dignity 
or respect. Congress must speak out and condemn this horrific situation 
in Libya.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this measure. I urge my colleagues to do the 
same, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of 
my time.
  In closing, I thank the author of this measure. I thank 
Representative Karen Bass for her work on this resolution. She is the 
ranking member of our Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global 
Human Rights, and International Organizations. I also thank Ranking 
Member Engel for his work on this resolution.
  The world was shocked by the videos of the slave auctions in Libya. 
The videos are proof that slavery and human

[[Page H6019]]

trafficking exist, despite efforts to eradicate these evils. The 
resolution before us now shines a light on this human trafficking in 
Libya.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan 
resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 644, which 
strongly condemns ongoing slave auctions in Libya of migrants and 
refugees.
  Mr. Speaker, it is critical that we swiftly and unequivocally condemn 
these acts of unspeakable cruelty that have no place in the civilized 
world.
  According to reports, an estimated 150,000 people--refugees fleeing 
conflict and economic migrants in search of better opportunities in 
Europe--cross Libya's borders each year.
  But a clampdown by the Libyan Coast Guard meant fewer boats made it 
out to sea, leaving the smugglers with a backlog of would-be passengers 
on their hands.
  With estimates of 400,000 to almost one million people now stranded 
in Libya, smugglers have become masters and the migrants and refugees 
have become slaves who are sold for as little as $400 each.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to share with this chamber the story of a 
young man named Victory, a 21-year-old Nigerian who fled his village 
and spent a year and four months--and his life savings--trying to reach 
Europe.
  Victory made it as far as Libya, where he says he and other refugees 
were held in grim living conditions, deprived of food, abused, and 
mistreated by their captors.
  When his funds ran out, Victory was sold as a day laborer by his 
smugglers; after weeks of being forced to work, Victory was told the 
money he had been bought for was not enough.
  He was returned to his smugglers, only to be re-sold several more 
times--the smugglers also demanded ransom payments from Victory's 
family before eventually releasing him.
  We know of at least 9 sites in which these horrors reportedly are 
commonplace.
  The open sale of humans into slavery exposed in Libya in 2017 shocked 
the world.
  United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley denounced the practice, saying 
``there are few greater violations of human rights and human dignity 
than this.''
  However, without a capable government in the country, the practice 
has continued unabated while media interest ebbed.
  Mr. Speaker, it is contrary to the values of this nation to stand by 
and watch these atrocities continue.
  H. Res. 644 denounces the trafficking of--and violence against--
innocent migrants in Libya, and proposes several concrete measures to a 
lasting infrastructure that upholds basic human rights for migrants in 
Libya.
  First, the resolution calls on the Libyan government to investigate 
and end the slave auctions, as well as provide for humane management of 
migration flows.
  Second, the resolution calls upon the United Nations to investigate 
the allegations of forced labor and demands that Libyan authorities to 
allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to regularly monitor 
and publicly report on the situation of refugees and migrants in Libya, 
and impose sanctions against Libya if the nation fails to end forced 
labor.
  Third, the resolution calls upon the African Union to conduct an 
independent investigation of forced labor in Libya, to assist migrants 
who wish to return to their homelands, and to impose sanctions against 
Libya should the forced labor continue.
  Fourth, the resolution highlights the importance of adequately 
staffing, funding, and supporting the United States State Department 
and the Agency for International Development to provide humanitarian 
assistance for migrants and to develop a comprehensive strategy to 
address the political and security situation in Libya including issues 
related to migrants and refugees in detention centers.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for H. Res. 644 and 
standing true to our nation's commitment to advancing human rights in 
Libya, and around the world.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Collins of New York). The question is on 
the motion offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) that 
the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 644), 
as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  The title of the resolution was amended so as to read: ``Resolution 
strongly condemning slave auctions and the exploitation of migrants and 
refugees as forced laborers in Libya, and for other purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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