Libyan security forces have successfully thwarted an attempt to smuggle irregular migrants near the Sabratha’s shoreline.
The Director of the Media and Public Relations Office at Sabratha Directorate, Mohammed Shtiewi, stated to “Al-Wasat news” on Tuesday that the Directorate’s investigation and arrest patrols, in cooperation with other security agencies, intercepted the smuggling operation within the abandoned quarries near the seashore.
Shtiewi explained that the irregular migrants were preparing to embark on a journey to Europe but were apprehended before reaching the beach. They have been taken to the Directorate’s headquarters to complete legal procedures before being transferred to detention centers for eventual repatriation to their home countries.
Recent reports from the non-governmental organization “Watch The Med” have shed light on the alarming practice of migrant pushbacks conducted by the Libyan Coast Guard within the Maltese Search and Rescue (SAR) zone, with the full knowledge and complicity of Italian and Maltese authorities. This disturbing trend underscores the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the central Mediterranean.
On a recent occasion, Alarm Phone, a project under Watch The Med, issued a distress call for a small boat carrying 62 migrants who were facing perilous weather conditions.
Instead of receiving the necessary aid, the migrants were intercepted by the Libyan Coast Guard and returned to Libya, a country notorious for its severe human rights abuses against migrants.
These pushbacks are not only morally reprehensible but also illegal under international law.
Libya’s reputation for human rights violations is well-documented. Migrants returned to Libya face arbitrary detention, torture, and sexual violence, conditions that the United Nations Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Libya has stated could constitute crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Despite these grave concerns, Italy continues to renew its Memorandum of Understanding with Libya, providing the Libyan Coast Guard with financial and technical support, which facilitates the interception and return of migrants attempting to flee to Europe.
Human rights organizations have consistently condemned this practice, accusing European countries of being complicit in the abuses by supporting Libyan authorities.
