28/02: 95 people coming from Al Khoms, Libya, intercepted by so-called Libyan Coastguard

01.03.2021 / 22:05 / Central Mediterranean Sea

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 28th of February 2021

Case name: 2021_28_02-CM380

Situation: 95 people started from Al Khoms and were intercepted by so-called Libyan Coastguard

Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded

Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean

Summary of the Case:

On 28th of February 2021 at 13.37h CET the Alarm Phone received a distress call from a satellite phone. The caller told to be onboard of a white rubber boat with one engine. The 95 people, including 9 women and 8 children, started in the early morning from Al Khoms. It was difficult to understand the GPS position and the connection broke down several times. Finally they passed us their GPS position and again we lost contact. The GPS position showed them very far east as they have had lost orientation and as they seemed to be in distress we informed all authorities as well as the rescue NGO Sea-Watch and a merchant vessel nearby. We never spoke to the travellers again.

In the evening we found a tweet saying that the Libyan Coastguard rescued a boat with 86 migrants, among them 9 women and 8 children. They were brought back to Tripoli. Although we cant be sure that these where the travellers that initially called us we assume that they have been intercepted by the so-called Libyan Coastguard.

Last update: 22:21 Jun 01, 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