After a complex rescue operation far out in international waters on Saturday, 94 people were rescued and brought to a safe place of disembarkation by Sea-Watch 3. Some of the survivors report multiple attempts to leave Libya by boat, all state outrageous conditions in Libya. When the Libyan Coast Guard arrived on scene, mandated by the Italian authorities, they expressed the will to take everyone back to Libya. This caused chaos and panic: many people jumped from the rubber boat in the water as they would have rather died. The presence of the Libyan asset on scene with the stated intention to forcibly return people jeopardized the rescue operation and endangered lives. We would have most probably witnessed drownings, if Sea-Watch 3 would have not distributed lifejackets to all before the rescue. In addition, Tuesday our SAR Aircraft Moonbird had to witness yet another illegal pull back. Sea-Watch strongly condemns a practice in blatant violation of the Geneva Refugee Convention (art. 33: Prohibition of “Refoulement”), facilitated by European authorities.
The rescue on Saturday took place 65 nautical miles north off the Libyan Coast. Our ship Sea-Watch 3 had been assigned to the case by the coordination center (MRCC) in Rome, but was then informed, that the Libyans would take over the command. When the vessel of the so called Libyan Coast Guard arrived on scene of an unseaworthy rubber boat in distress and tried to take the people on board, the situation went out of control. People jumped into the water, shouting “No Libya”. Luckily everyone had been equipped with lifejackets before by the crew of the Sea-Watch 3. When the Libyan vessel realised its inability to deal with the situation, they asked Sea-Watch 3 for help and we could finally proceed to take the people on board. “We are obviously more than happy that everyone was safe at the end of the day. at the same time it is utterly frustrating to see how European authorities escalate the situation at sea by encouraging the so called Libyan Coast Guard to pull back people, even if they know that the people face inhuman treatment and know that they act against international law”, says Pia Klemp, captain of the Sea-Watch 3.
For most of our guests, the Sea-Watch 3 is the first safe place for a long time, especially women are exposed to high threats of abuse in Libya, many have experienced sexualized violence, photo: Tim Lüddemann / Sea-Watch.org
The rescue on Saturday took place 65 nautical miles north off the Libyan Coast. Our ship Sea-Watch 3 had been assigned to the case by the coordination center (MRCC) in Rome, but was then informed, that the Libyans would take over the command. When the vessel of the so called Libyan Coast Guard arrived on scene of an unseaworthy rubber boat in distress and tried to take the people on board, the situation went out of control. People jumped into the water, shouting “No Libya”. Luckily everyone had been equipped with lifejackets before by the crew of the Sea-Watch 3. When the Libyan vessel realised its inability to deal with the situation, they asked Sea-Watch 3 for help and we could finally proceed to take the people on board. “We are obviously more than happy that everyone was safe at the end of the day. at the same time it is utterly frustrating to see how European authorities escalate the situation at sea by encouraging the so called Libyan Coast Guard to pull back people, even if they know that the people face inhuman treatment and know that they act against international law,” says Pia Klemp, captain of the Sea-Watch 3.
We have testimonies by those rescued during the transfer to the assigned port of safety in Sicily, that many of the people rescued had tried to escape from Libya before, but were pulled back by the so called Libyan Coast Guard and have experienced unbearable treatment. A man from Sudan said to have attempted already three times to escape from Libya. He was intercepted and pulled back twice and imprisoned. Once he managed to escape, the second time his brother had to pay 300$ of ransom, another survivor of Eritrean origin even stated he was sold to smugglers. A 24 year old Senegalese accused the coast guard of blackmailing: “When they catched us, they gave us a phone. They said to call our family. If they have money, you pay. If they don’t you will suffer there.” He says. “They don’t help you and you will die inside the prison there.”
Another incident took place on Tuesday when Sea-Watch witnessed another pull back. Our reconnaissance aircraft Moonbird was ordered by MRCC Rome to search for a boat in distress North of al-Khums. The distress boat was found 33.5 nautical miles offshore and therefore in international waters. On scene, there was as well an Italian military helicopter, which was asked by Moonbird, to request its mother ship, which was in vicinity, to engage in the rescue, later a Libyan asset showed up on scene and took over the rescue with the intention to return the people to Libya. Moonbird informed the helicopter via VHF about this breach of law but people were brought back to Libya. Even though an Italian court has just ruled last week, that there is no port of safety in Libya and despite of the fact that a ship would have been available that could have brought them to a port of safety complying with all relevant legislation.
“The whole European strategy, using the so called Libyan Coast Guard as bouncer for Fortress Europe to facilitate the breach of international law is a scandal, as migration control has priority over saving people’s lives” Sea-Watch Chairman Johannes Bayer says. “The last week has shown again that European authorities are trying to stop migration by any means, even if they know well, that their actions cause immense suffering to people, their human rights being basically denied. Therefore, we will continue to collect evidence aboard our assets in the Central Mediterranean and we will try to get European authorities held accountable for complicity in multiple human rights abuses.”
Video material by Sea-Watch 3:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dxyjl1krbcbykre/AABiwgqc8KnbDAF3DFsbQQgja?dl=0
Photos of the pull back witnessed by Moonbird:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0cngalmv0za2jr8/AABSsJHJFcXlzmnaBbzU4XYNa?dl=0
Photos of the rescue:
