05/02 105 people intercepted by the so-called Libyan coastguard

06.02.2021 / 06:40 / Central Mediterranean

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 5th February 2021
Case name: 2021_02_05-CM360
Situation: 105 people intercepted by the so-called Libyan coastguard
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean
N33 deg 28.247, E 012 deg 48.890 @08:29 CET
Summary of the Case:
At 08:30h CET on 5 February 2021, we received a phone call from a boat carrying 105 people, including 15 women and 10 children. One of the children was just five days old. They were in a pneumatic rubber boat. It was deflating. They gave us a position which was in the Libyan Search and Rescue zone. We immediately attempted to inform the so-called Libyan by sending an email with the information. As the coastguard do not appear to monitor their emails or phone, we also
copied in the European Maritime rescue coordination centres as well as Ocean Viking and other NGO search and rescue rganisations. We tried to follow up with a phone call to the so-called Libyan coastguard, but we could not reach them.

We remained in contact with the boat. They reported seeing an aerial asset shortly after 09:00h, this was probably, Seawatch’s Moonbird, which had spotted the boat. We also received updated positions from the travelers which we passed on to the relevant authorities.

Shortly after 11:00h the people on the boat told us that they could see a white vessel waiting close to the boat. We realised that it was probably the so-called Libyan coastguard. Our fears and the fears of
the travellers were confirmed at 11:20h when Moonbird observed the interception.

Last update: 07:14 May 22, 2021

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