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(单词翻译)
By Sabina Castelfranco
Tripoli
22 November 2006
European and African nations met in Libya on Wednesday to seek ways to stem the rising tide of illegal migration1. The Libyan foreign minister, Abd al-Rahman Shalgam, told the conference that EU countries must provide assistance to Libya. Sabina Castelfranco has more from the Libyan capital, Tripoli.
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Would-be immigrants arrive in the port of Los Cristianos on the Canary Island of Tenerife, Spain, Sept. 8, 2006
Libya is one of the main transit2 countries for illegal migrants, along with Morocco, Senegal and Mauritania. Every year thousands of sub-Saharan migrants try to reach Libya in the hope of then crossing the Mediterranean3 Sea to reach Europe. They are fleeing poverty and hope that at the end of their journey they will find a better life.
In an effort to increase cooperation between African nations and the European Union, Libya agreed to host the first ministerial conference on migration in Tripoli. For two days, delegates from the African Union and European Union are discussing ways to curb4 illegal immigration.
Libya's foreign minister, Abd al-Rahman Shalgam, says this conference shows just how urgent the problem is.
"To have this gathering5 today here in Libya it means that the whole continent, the two continents, Europe and Africa, are completely aware [of] the importance and the complexity6 of this issue and we hope that we can have a declaration, a political declaration and a plan of action of what we can do on the ground regarding these poor people who are suffering, starving, civil wars, epidemics7 to keep them on their own soil,” he said.
Spanish Coast Guard vessel8 Punta Salinas carries 43 African migrants recovered earlier at sea in port of Los Cristianos on the Spanish Canary island of Tenerife
Shalgam says that, on its own, Libya cannot control the tide of illegal migration, because its territory is too large. Libya, he says, has more than 4,000 kilometers of borders on the Sahara desert and about 2,000 kilometers on the Mediterranean Sea. That is why, he says, it needs the assistance of the European Union.
EU officials say they understand the problems Libya faces and have offered assistance, including equipment and staff.
Shalgam also says more projects are needed on the ground in Africa to keep people in their own countries. African leaders agree that more jobs need to be created so that people will not have to leave their countries to earn a living.
At the conference, discussions also focused on ways to widen opportunities for legal migration.
The EU justice and interior commissioner9, Franco Frattini, on Wednesday said the EU plans to provide African countries with information on job opportunities in Europe through the establishment of a European Job Mobility10 Portal. He also said the EU Commission would propose new legislation that imposes penalties against employers of illegal immigrants.
Frattini also spoke11 of the need to support African states with strategies to combat the trafficking in human beings. He said instruments need to be in place to prosecute12 traffickers and offer protection to victims, with special attention to minors13 and women.
1 migration | |
n.迁移,移居,(鸟类等的)迁徙 | |
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2 transit | |
n.经过,运输;vt.穿越,旋转;vi.越过 | |
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3 Mediterranean | |
adj.地中海的;地中海沿岸的 | |
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4 curb | |
n.场外证券市场,场外交易;vt.制止,抑制 | |
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5 gathering | |
n.集会,聚会,聚集 | |
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6 complexity | |
n.复杂(性),复杂的事物 | |
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7 epidemics | |
n.流行病 | |
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8 vessel | |
n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管 | |
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9 commissioner | |
n.(政府厅、局、处等部门)专员,长官,委员 | |
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10 mobility | |
n.可动性,变动性,情感不定 | |
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11 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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12 prosecute | |
vt.告发;进行;vi.告发,起诉,作检察官 | |
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13 minors | |
n.未成年人( minor的名词复数 );副修科目;小公司;[逻辑学]小前提v.[主美国英语]副修,选修,兼修( minor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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