Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 21st of October 2020
Case name: 20201021-CM311
Situation: 10 people brought back to Algeria where they might face persecution.
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Central Mediterranean Sea

Summary of the Cases:
On Wednesday the 21st of October at 11.30 CET the Alarm Phone shift team was called by a relative who alerted us to a boat with 10 travellers, including one with only one leg. The travellers had left from Annaba, Algeria, three days previously and were heading towards Sardegna. During the following hours, more relatives of travellers on this boat got in touch with the Alarm Phone, asking for news about their loved ones. All the relatives had lost contact to the travellers, and it was also not possible for us to establish contact. At 14.13 we called the local coastguard on Sardegna who told us that they were searching for the travellers, but couldn't give us further information. We also forwarded the information to the main office of the Italian coastguard. After not being able to get more information from the Italian coastguard during the day, at 19.40 we attempted to reach out to the Algerian coastguard. However, they hung up on us several times.
Only the next morning at 9.28, one of the relatives informed us that the travellers had been rescued by the Algerian coastguard, and were all back in Algeria. This was confirmed by several other relatives, and at 16.04 the Algerian coastguard also confirmed to us that they had rescued a boat with 10 travellers, who were all brought back to Algeria. Further, the relatives told us that the travellers had been brought to the police before being released, but might still face persecution for their attempt to leave the country.