Rescue at sea highlights growing pressure on migrants in Libya

Thirty-nine people, including seven women—one of them pregnant—and 13 children, were rescued at sea this morning by the crew of the M.V. Louise Michel after Alarm Phone alerted the vessel to an overcrowded and unseaworthy rubber boat in distress.

According to the crew, those rescued had been traveling without adequate life-saving equipment, fuel or food. Some were reportedly suffering from fuel burns. The group is now being transported toward Messina.

The rescue comes as monitoring of migration-enforcement operations in Libya points to hundreds of people being intercepted, arrested or otherwise processed in operations across the country.

Between October 2 and 4, an estimated 312 to 342 people were reportedly caught up in such operations, although the actual number could be higher.

Around Tobruk, monitoring reports indicate that approximately 120 to 150 people were intercepted during land operations. In Tripoli’s Tajoura and Ain Zara areas, around 85 people were reportedly detained during house and workplace raids.

Off the coast of Zawiya, a further 62 people were reportedly intercepted at sea and returned to Libya, while around 45 others were reported to have been caught along southern transit routes near Kufra.

The figures illustrate the different stages of migration enforcement faced by people attempting to leave Libya: interception on land, detention, interception at sea and, in some cases, deportation or forced return.

At the same time, civilian search-and-rescue organisations operating in the Mediterranean continue to face investigations, administrative measures against their vessels, fines and political criticism over their activities.

The contrast has prompted criticism from rescue organisations, which argue that humanitarian groups face increasing restrictions while Libyan security and interception actors continue to receive European cooperation, training, equipment and funding as part of efforts described as “migration management.”

The issue has become a contentious part of Europe’s migration policy, with advocates questioning whether measures intended to prevent irregular migration are contributing to the detention and forced return of people who are attempting to reach safety.

For the 39 people rescued by the Louise Michel, the journey has continued toward Italy. For hundreds of others reportedly intercepted across Libya in recent days, the outcome has been detention, return or removal from migration routes.