Human Rights Watch (HRW) has strongly criticised the actions of the Libyan coast guard in the central Mediterranean Sea, highlighting the dangerous conditions faced by migrants attempting to flee Libya. The HRW report followed a recent incident involving the Geo Barents, a rescue ship operated by Médécins Sans Frontières (MSF), which was threatened by a Libyan coast guard patrol during a rescue operation.
HRW detailed how the Libyan patrol boat, supplied by Italy with European Commission support, demanded that MSF halt the rescue of migrants from an overcrowded wooden boat. The coast guard allegedly threatened to open fire on the crew, but eventually allowed them to complete the rescue before leaving. The MSF ship later faced a 60-day detention order by Italian authorities upon arrival in Genoa, based on what HRW described as a flawed reliance on Libyan coast guard instructions.
HRW expressed deep concern over the treatment of migrants intercepted by Libyan forces, many of whom are sent back to detention centres where they face severe abuse. The organisation called on the European Union and Italy to reconsider their support for Libya in managing migration, arguing that it perpetuates cycles of violence and human rights violations in Libya.
According to HRW, the people rescued by MSF spoke of horrifying experiences in Libya, with many recounting their time in inhumane detention centres after being intercepted at sea. HRW urged European governments to enable humanitarian rescue missions instead of obstructing them, warning of the dire consequences for those left to fend for themselves in the Mediterranean or trapped in Libya.
