Mediterranean. Libyan Coast Guard still carrying out half of rescues

(B2) In the central Mediterranean, the acute crisis is over. But the departures of refugees and migrants from Libya — and especially from Tunisia (a new phenomenon) — continue. With smugglers who are always very active, and whose instructions adapt to the difficulty. If European ships are more discreet, and NGOs limited in action, the Libyan navy and coast guard are on the bridge

Around 9050 people were rescued or intercepted during 128 operations carried out by various vessels, between March 1 and July 31, in areas of the southern central Mediterranean covered by the EU naval force, according to the first report. produced by the EUNAVFOR Med Irini operation.

Half of the relief operations carried out by the Libyans

Of this number, just under half (52 operations) were carried out by the Libyan navy and coast guard. This more or less corresponds to the ratio observed in 2019 (Read: Central Mediterranean: the Libyan coast guard provides half of the rescues). With one clear difference: there are more people taking this route than last year (see box).

Identical surveillance zones

It should be noted that the areas covered by the two successive EUNAVFOR MED operations (Sophia then Irini) are " largely " the same. This facilitates comparisons. Simply, IRINI's area of ​​operation has been extended north to the 37th parallel north.

Apart from the Libyans, the notable action of the Italians

Looking at the number of people rescued, almost half (45%) of people who left Libya were rescued or intercepted by the Libyan Coast Guard in the search and rescue areas of Libya and Malta, according to the UNHCR (High Commissioner for Refugees) data. A quarter (24%) were rescued by the Italian authorities.

Relatively weak role of NGOs and merchant ships

Of the rest, 7% were rescued by the Maltese armed forces, 7% by NGOs, 4% by merchant ships (which disembarked in Libya about a quarter of those rescued or intercepted, and the others in Italy or Malta ), 3% by fishing boats (some chartered by the Maltese authorities). 8% managed to reach Italy on their own.

NB: the weight of NGOs in the rescue, even if it remains highly publicized, has greatly diminished compared to the years 2016-2017: NGOs then ensured 26% in 2016 and nearly 35% for the first months of 2017 ( according to the B2 database, compiled from Italian sources).

Destination: detention centers

Most people who are disembarked in Libya are then sent to detention centres. Thus, around 4450 refugees and migrants were intercepted and disembarked in Libya between March 1 and July 31, 2020 (compared to around 3700 people during the same period in 2019), according to the UNHCR. 60% of refugees and migrants disembarked by the Libyan Coast Guard during the reporting period were at the Abu Sitta disembarkation point in Tripoli, and 23% at the main port of Tripoli, according to IOM ( the International Organization for Migration). These landings are not without clashes. Three migrants were killed and two others injured in a shootout at the Khoms disembarkation point on July 27, shortly after disembarking.

Sudanese and Malians

These people intercepted at sea by the Libyans mainly come from Sudan (50%) and Bangladesh (19%), as well as Mali (8%), according to the UNHCR. The vast majority (85%) are adult men, 8% women and 7% children.

Proven Tactics

The tactics used by the smugglers remain the same as in recent months, according to European sources.

A minimum of fuel to reach a rescue

The boats used do not have enough fuel to reach European shores, but enough to get out of the 12 nautical mile limit of Libyan territorial waters. They sail away from the Libyan coast in an attempt to get out of the Libyan search and rescue (SAR) zone in order to avoid being intercepted by the Libyan navy and coast guard, but then to be picked up by European ships. Migrant ships travel alone, with smugglers avoiding accompanying them to be picked up by coastguards. The time of escorts thus seems to be over (1).

Guidelines given to migrants

The smugglers simply give the 'travelers' basic instructions: how to navigate at sea with a GPS system, or where to go. Sometimes they are instructed when they reach a point designated by the GPS, outside Libyan territorial waters, to activate the satellite phone and contact either the maritime rescue coordination center in Rome or NGOs, in order to signal and wait for help to arrive. Sometimes they are directed towards the oil platforms, located off the Libyan coast. Or, they are instructed to just stay on course until the fuel runs out. This is where the main risk of sinking lies.

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

1. Lire: In Libya, traffickers are adapting. Tactics are changing

---

Overall numbers down. The Central Mediterranean route on the rise

Around 20.000 refugees and migrants arrived in Europe during the warmer months (between March 1 and July 31), via the three main Mediterranean sea routes, according to UNHCR and IOM sources. That is a decrease of around 30% (more than 28.000 people over the same period of 2019).

However, these figures must be qualified. This decrease mainly concerns the eastern Mediterranean routes, towards Greece and the western Mediterranean, towards Spain: respectively 3100 and 4200 refugees and migrants (compared to more than 14500 and around 7950 over the same period of 2019).

Instead, the central Mediterranean route (to Italy and Malta) was used. More than 12.410 refugees and migrants have used it. That is an increase of 142% compared to 2019 (5140 arrivals over the same period of 2019). 11.460 arrived in Italy and more than 950 in Malta. This represents some relief for the small Mediterranean island (3605 in Italy and 1535 in Malta, over the same period of 2019).

An arrival from Tunisia more than from Libya

This route is now supplied more from Tunisia and no longer from Libya, as in previous periods. 5216 people thus arrived from Tunisia (compared to 1226 over the same period of 2019) and 4796 people from Libya (compared to 2465 over the same period of 2019). There are also arrivals from Algeria.