The institution acts as a holding centre rather than a prison. “We don’t keep anyone here for more than 72 hours,” Alaha said, explaining that most inmates leave within 24 hours, either released – if their paperwork and health are in good order – or transferred to local detention centres for illegal immigrants.
Libya Herald reporters witnessed a group of ten arrested workers being brought into the zoo. They were questioned about their country of origin – they were from sub-Saharan Africa, Tunisia and Morocco – and their paperwork, if they had any, was inspected.
There are special detention centres for those with diseases while they await deportation. “If they are ill, they will be transferred outside Libya,” Alaha told the Libya Herald: “If there is no illness, and they have visas, they can stay here and work and pay taxes.”
Political refugees working illegally are also an increasing problem for Libya. “More than 10,000 Syrians have come here since their revolution started,” Al-Gerjame said, “they say they have come through the Emsaid border crossing between Egypt and Libya, but they have no stamps in their passports.”
“We cannot return these people to their countries because they have refugee status,” Al-Gerjame said, “so we have to keep them here in Libya.” Workers from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia also cannot be sent home. “This is Libya’s biggest problem,” Al-Gerjame said, “and we have asked the United Nations for help but nobody has any answers.”
