A rescue nearly went wrong off the coast of Libya. Italy and Malta block their ports

(B2) The Ship Open Arms of a Spanish NGO Proactiva was taken to task on Thursday (March 15) by the Libyan coast guard. While 73 miles from the Libyan coast, they threatened the vessel. to target us unless we transfer to them the women and children we have already saved denounces one of the members of the NGO.

#breaking Libyan coastguards, 73 miles off Libyan coast, are threatening our ship, a European-flag one, to target us unless we transfer them the women and children we have already rescued

— PROACTIVA OPEN ARMS (@openarms_fund) March 15, 2018

The Libyan coast guard on the offensive

The volunteers were carrying out the rescue of an inflatable boat, where there were 101 people of Eritrean nationality on board. They had already transferred to their two lifeboats, 25 women and seven children, when the coast guard vessel began to carry out dangerous maneuvers, says Cristina Mas, a journalist from the Catalan daily Search who was on board the NGO ship.

The Libyan patrol boat came dangerously close, even lowering his outside ladder to show he was ready to capture migrants ". " If you don't give us the immigrants, we'll kill you said the captain of the Libyan patrol boat to the Spanish volunteers of the NGO. The confrontation lasted more than three hours. Eventually, the rescuers were able to board all the occupants of the dinghy.

Coastguard vessel 648

Apparently (when you look at the video shot by the journalists), the Libyan Coast Guard vessel is marked '648'. The same one who had made himself known for an attitude that was at the very least offensive towards another NGO ship, the SeaWatch 3, on November 6, 2017 (read: 5 dead off Libya. Libyan Coast Guard indicted).

A helicopter in flight

« A helicopter also flew over the area throughout the day [but] did not even respond to calls from the OpenArms they point out. On the EU side, however, they deny " that no means of the operation (Sophia) were involved  ". This means that it is an Italian Navy helicopter.

Without landing port?

On Friday morning, the NGO ship headed north, " waiting for instructions as Oscar Camps, the founder of Proactiva, tells us. On board 218 people — 117 people from a previous rescue and the 101 from this rescue. At noon, no European port has been assigned to them by the Rome Relief Coordination Center (MRCC). The medical team on board then requested the evacuation of the most serious cases.

The emergency situation continues in #openarms In view of the refusal to disembark in a European port, the medical team requests immediate evacuation of the most serious medical cases. What a shame! @hrw pic.twitter.com/ds2PgdHx7z

- Oscar Camps (@campsoscar) March 16, 2018

Baby and mother evacuated to Malta

A seriously ill, dehydrated three-month-old baby and his mother were thus evacuated to Malta. They were transferred at sea, according to our information, to a ship of the Maltese armed forces which took charge of them. But the NGO still had no no port of disembarkation for other refugees on board. « It's very urgent. On board we have 216 people, and many women and children in critical situation. Everyone's on the edge ».

(updated) At the end of the day, the good news finally arrives. The ship receives a call from the Italian Coast Guard. They are authorized to enter the port of Pozzalo (Sicily) to deposit the rescued refugees there.

A European call to order


The European position remains firm, indicated a spokesperson for the Commission, joined by B2: “ It is imperative not to put the lives of migrants in danger, whatever the circumstances. We condemn any act of violence against them. All actors must act in full respect of international law and humanitarian standards »

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

Updated 16.3 22:30 p.m.