24/06: 150 people probably intercepted to Libya

25.06.2018 / 21:27 / Central Mediterranean Sea

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 24th of June 2018
Case name: 2018_06_24-WM132
Situation: 150 people probably intercepted to Libya
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Case: At 7.45am CET, The Alarm Phone received a call from a boat at sea asking to be rescued quickly. The boat had 20 women and 15 children on board. The shift team was in touch with MRCC Rome, and asked for immediate assistance as the people were in distress. At 8.10, MRCC Rome confirmed they had informed the Libyan Coast Guard of the boat. The shift team maintained contact with the boat for several hours and attempted to support them through their stress, including by recharging their Thuraya phones. MRCC Rome and Malta refused to take responsibility, although GPS positions were provided. Rescue NGOs in the area were unable to find the boat in the area of the given GPS position, however, given that over 1000 people were intercepted by Libyan forces in that period, it is likely that this boat was also intercepted. MRCC Rome cooperated with Tripoli on many cases to intercept travelers.

Last update: 17:13 Aug 07, 2018

Credibility:

Border police patrols
While the exact location of patrols is of course constantly changing, this line indicates the approximate boundary routinely patrolled by border guards’ naval assets. In the open sea, it usually correspond to the outer extent of the contiguous zone, the area in which “State may exercise the control necessary to prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws” (UNCLOS, art. 33). Data source: interviews with border police officials.
Coastal radars
Approximate radar beam range covered by coastal radars operating in the frame of national marine traffic monitoring systems. The actual beam depends from several different parameters (including the type of object to be detected). Data source: Finmeccanica.
Exclusive Economic Zone
Maritime area beyond and adjacent to the territorial sea in which the coastal state exercises sovereign rights for the purposes of exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing the natural resources, whether living or non-living, the seabed and its subsoil and the superjacent waters. Its breadth is 200 nautical miles from the straight baselines from which the territorial sea is measured (UNCLOS, Arts. 55, 56 and 57). Data source: Juan Luis Suárez de Vivero, Atlas of the European Seas and Oceans
Frontex operations
Frontex has, in the past few years, carried out several sea operations at the maritime borders of the EU. The blue shapes indicate the approximate extend of these operations. Data source: Migreurop Altas.
Mobile phone coverage
Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network coverage. Data source: Collins Mobile Coverage.
Oil and gas platforms
Oil and gas platforms in the Mediterranean. Data source:
Search and Rescue Zone
An area of defined dimensions within which a given state is has the responsibility to co-ordinate Search and Rescue operations, i.e. the search for, and provision of aid to, persons, ships or other craft which are, or are feared to be, in distress or imminent danger. Data source: IMO availability of search and rescue (SAR) services - SAR.8/Circ.3, 17 June 2011.
Territorial Waters
A belt of sea (usually extending up to 12 nautical miles) upon which the sovereignty of a coastal State extends (UNCLOS, Art. 2). Data source: Juan Luis Suárez de Vivero, Atlas of the European Seas and Oceans