11/10: 91 travellers rescued by the Italian coast guard

12.10.2017 / 10:26 / Central Mediterranean Sea

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 9th of October 2017

Case name: 2017_10_09-CM119
Situation: 91 travellers on their way from Libya, rescued to Italy by the Italian coast guard
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Cases: On Monday the 11th of October 2017, the Alarm Phone shift team received an email by Father Mussie Zerai, alerting us to a boat carrying 91 travellers, forwarding us the number of their Thuraya phone. We were not able to establish direct contact to the travellers, but as they did not have much credit, we could recharge their phone. At 11.57am we called the Italian coast guard and forwarded the information we had. They were already aware of the case, informed us that they were working on it, and asked us to call back in the evening for an update. Throughout the day we did not manage to reach the travellers, and by monitoring their credit we could see that they were also not in contact with anyone else. At 8.06 pm we called the Italian coast guard, asking if they had any news about the case. They did not want to give us specific information over the phone, but requested that we would send an email. At 8.45pm the Italian coast guard replied to our email, and informed us that the travellers had been rescued and brought to Italy.

Last update: 10:27 Oct 29, 2017

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