Rescues of migrant boats by Malta’s Armed Forces have dropped by 90% since the launch of a secretive migration coordination centre with Libya in 2020, while interceptions by the Libyan Coast Guard surged by 230%, according to new data published by Times of Malta newspaper.
In 2020, migrants in distress within Malta’s search and rescue (SAR) zone were three times more likely to be rescued by Maltese authorities than intercepted by Libyan vessels. That year, there were 21 rescues by the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM), compared to seven interceptions by the Libyan Coast Guard.
However, by 2024, this trend had reversed dramatically. AFM rescues fell to just two, while the Libyan Coast Guard carried out 23 interceptions within the same SAR zone. The data was compiled by the Malta Migration Archive, a new digital research tool developed using NGO sources such as Alarm Phone and Sea-Watch International.
The figures suggest that a migrant boat in distress in Malta’s SAR zone last year was nearly ten times more likely to be intercepted by Libyan forces than rescued by Malta. This area, which covers a vast stretch of the central Mediterranean, remains Malta’s responsibility under international maritime law.
The archive shows a consistent drop in Maltese rescues since 2020, with the sharpest decline between 2020 and 2021. UNHCR data supports the findings, with sea arrivals to Malta falling from 2,300 in 2020 to just 238 in 2024.
Despite the role of the Libyan Coast Guard being formalised by Tripoli, human rights groups and European courts have criticised its conduct. In June 2024, an Italian court ruled that its actions do not meet the legal definition of rescue due to violence used during interceptions.
Malta, meanwhile, continues to deny allegations of ignoring distress calls in its SAR zone.
