One migrant dead after Libyan coast guard chases dinghy
One person has died and three others were rescued after a dinghy capsized during a chase by the Libyan coast guard in the Mediterranean according to The New Arab plus agencies on September 30th.
A patrol boat from the Libyan coast guard intercepted a crowded dinghy carrying approximately 30 migrants off the Libyan coast, aiming to guide them back to Libya according to non-governmental organisation Sea-Watch, who filmed the scene from its aircraft.
Subsequently, the dinghy attempted to flee the coast guard, which caused four people to fall into the water due to high waves.
Sea-Watch spokesperson Giorgia Linardi said “one person drowned under the eyes of our air crew… the person was basically abandoned at sea, and all the other survivors were at first rescued by a merchant vessel.”
Linardi added that these incidents are extremely common in the Libyan coastal area, and this incident emerges days after a Libyan patrol vessel reportedly opened fire on one of Sea-Watch’s migrant rescue ships attempting to rescue 66 people at sea.
Libya has long been grappling with problems relating to migration both across land and sea. On September 26th, the remains of five suspected migrants were found in the eastern Libyan desert.
Continuous incidents off the Libyan coast has led the Libyan government to open maritime deals with EU member states such as Malta, in an attempt to further toughen their stance on migration. The European Union has come under criticism for its financial support for Libya’s migration mechanisms, which has fuelled human rights abuses in detention centres.
Libya has also developed ties with Italy surrounding migration, but Sea-Watch argues that Italy’s requirement for permission from the Libyan coast guard violates international law due to the coast guard forcing migrants back to Libya, which is not considered safe by Italian courts.
Like Libya, Italy has focused on tackling irregular migration through tough measures, but these measures are seemingly harming the safety of migrants and fuelling these troubling incidents.
The New Arab plus agencies, Maghrebi.org
Want to chase the pulse of North Africa?
Subscribe to receive our FREE weekly PDF magazine
