Migrant Boat Attacked by Libyan Coast Guard in Mediterranean Chaos
Sea-Watch International has blasted the EU’s harsh migration policy after shocking footage emerged of a Libyan coast guard attack on a migrant boat in the Mediterranean. The disturbing video, filmed from Sea-Watch’s Seabird vessel, shows a dinghy packed with migrants struck by the Libyan patrol, sending people plunging into the sea.
Desperate Fight for Survival as Migrants Tossed Overboard
Dozens were on board when the Libyan coast guard rammed the dinghy, forcing frantic swimmers to claw their way towards safety on a nearby ship. Sea-Watch called it the direct consequence of the EU’s “brutal and daily disgusting migration policy.”
“Europe’s migration policies empower violent coast guards to block desperate people from reaching safety,” said Felix Weiss from Sea-Watch.
After the attack, a larger patrol boat threw life vests to those stranded in the water. But Sea-Watch accused the coast guard of forcibly returning nearly 50 migrants to Libya – calling the incident an “attempted murder” and warning that casualties remain unclear.
EU Funds Libyan Coast Guard Despite Deadly Risks
The dinghy was deliberately destroyed after Libyan forces ignored warnings. Since 2015, the EU has funded the Libyan coast guard to clamp down on migration from North Africa, a strategy critics say fuels these deadly encounters.
Rescue Groups Struggle Under Italy’s Tough New Rules
Italian authorities recently seized the German rescue ship Sea Eye 4 after it saved migrants and docked in Salerno. Meanwhile, the International Organisation for Migration reports over 1,800 people have gone missing or died on the Central Mediterranean route in 2023 alone.
Humanitarian groups claim Italy’s far-right government under Giorgia Meloni is making rescue missions harder by imposing stricter rules and forcing ships to divert to northern ports. These moves are blamed for slowing rescue efforts and costing lives at sea.
