Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 7th of May 2020
Case name: 2020_05_07-CM245
Situation: 27 people likely intercepted and returned to Libya
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Case:
In the morning of 7 May 2020 we were called by a group of travellers in distress. They told us that their boat was in a bad way and was taking on water. They had left Zuwara two days before. Communication was difficult, but once we were able to establish a GPS position we alerted the Italian and Maltese authorities. We kept in contact with the boat as best we could, asking the travellers to keep us updated about their position. As the GPS readings we received varied widely, it became clear that their location was unknown.

At 13:30h the travellers reported seeing a helicopter overhead. This was presumably a Euranavfor asset and would suggest that European authorities located the vessel. Shortly after 14:00h the boat was approached by a white vessel. The provinence of the white ship is unknown. It did not carry out rescue and left the scene by 15:15h.

Our last contact with the boat was 15:59h, though we continued trying to reach them. The Italian Coastguard refused to release any information about the case. It would appear that they worked with the so called Libyan Coastguard to co-ordinate an interception as a group of about 25 travellers were brought back to Tripoli. This was at least what was claimed by a least someone who answered the phone purporting to belong to the Libyan Coastguard. The IoM and UNHCR, who would normally be present at the disembarkation, were not present as the port came under shellfire. The best we could do was call the various published numbers for the various Libyan 'authorities', but our calls went unanswered. The attack on the port coinciding with the return of people fleeing the country is the starkest illustration yet that Libya is not a safe country. Europe must stop sending refugees back to danger.