SECURITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE CONSIDERS LIBYAN REQUEST FOR REPATRIATION OF FOREIGN NATIONALS

The following was received from the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 748 (1992) concerning Libya:

The Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 748 (1992) concerning Libya at its sixty-first meeting on 17 October, considered two notes verbales dated 4 and 10 October requesting the Committee's authorization, in principle, for air transport facilities by Libyan or United Nations aircraft to enable over a million "illegal infiltrators, nationals of African States, to return to their countries in order to avoid the hardships and dangers of travel created by the air embargo".

The intended repatriation would involve nationals of the following African countries: Mali (250,000 nationals, 500 flights); Chad (300,000 nationals, 600 flights); Niger (30,000 nationals, 60 flights); Ghana (20,000 nationals, 40 flights); West African States -- Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau -- (10,000 nationals, 40 flights); Nigeria (7,000 nationals, 15 flights); and the Sudan (500,000 nationals, 1,000 flights).

After careful consideration of the above matter, the Committee, at its 17 October meeting, was unable to accede to the Libyan request. The Committee was of the view that the presence of foreign nationals in Libya and Libya's desire to repatriate them did not constitute grounds for granting a humanitarian exception to the relevant Security Council resolutions.

A response to this effect was sent today to the Libyan authorities.

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