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Calling upon the United Nations, the President of the United States and other international leaders to strongly condemn the Libyan slave trade and promptly take the actions necessary to end this grave injustice to human dignity.
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WHEREAS, A recent video of men being sold at a slave auction in Libya has sparked international outrage and has put a spotlight on the exploitation of migrant populations not only in Libya but all over the world. The undercover video, filmed by CNN reporters, showed smugglers selling off a dozen men for $400 each; and
WHEREAS, Since the ousting of Libya's longtime leader, Muammar Gaddafi, in 2011, Libya has been in a state of unrest. The transitional government was unsuccessful in taking control of the country, which led to the division of the population into several factions of militias, and civil war; and
WHEREAS, Tackling the Libyan slave trade will require international assistance. Libya is an especially opportune place for slave traders as many migrants and refugees pass through Libya with hopes of crossing over to Europe from Africa; and
WHEREAS, The International Organization for Migration, the United Nation's (U.N.) migration agency, said that they had reports of "slave markets" along the migrant routes in North Africa; and
WHEREAS, Hundreds of thousands of migrants have crossed the Mediterranean at significant risk to themselves and their families. Thousands have died while attempting the journey. Recently, the European Union has cracked down on boats smuggling refugees from Africa, resulting in at least 400,000 migrants being bottled up in Libyan detention camps, creating an environment ripe for extortion; and
WHEREAS, The leaders of Libya, France, German, Chad, Niger and other countries agreed on a plan to evacuate thousands of migrants in Libyan detention camps; and
WHEREAS, The U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting and said it would be "stepping up its work" to address this issue...
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