Central Mediterranean: Left to drown in the Southern European Border

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In one year of operations in the Central Mediterranean, the Médecins Sans Frontières’ (MSF) vessel, the Geo Barents, has rescued 3,138 people and conducted 6,536 medical consultations.

Following last week’s tragic rescue, in which at least 30 people died in a shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea, the sad reality at the Southern fringe of Europe has not changed.

The normalization of policies of deterrence and non-assistance at sea, as well as the dismantling of the SAR system in favor of forced returns, continue to generate human suffering and loss of life.

The world was made privy to the deteriorating situation facing hopeful migrants fleeing their desolate lives in the hopes of a better future in the European continent, following the detailed media coverage of the death of 23 migrants, in the Spanish enclave of Melilla.

Unfortunately, occurrences of this nature are not unusual, rather, they have become the norm with similar scenarios reported from the Mediterranean shores, the English Channel, or the Poland-Belarus border.

Roughly 200 people from two boats in distress were rescued on the morning of May 9. Everyone is now safe on board the Geo Barents while we continue the search for more boats in distress. Right after the rescue, we saw the Libyan Coast Guard navigating at a very close distance from the Geo Barents. Photographer: Anna Pantelia Copyright: Anna Pantelia/MSF

The figures, which represent human lives, are outrageous. Between 2017 and 2021, at least 8,500 people have died or gone missing and 95,000 people have been forcibly returned to Libya, including 32,425 people in 2021 alone – the highest number of forced returns reported to date.

In Libya, the rescued people face degrading treatment, like extortion, torture, and — all too often — death.

“European states failing to provide adequate proactive SAR capacity and propping up the capacity of the Libyan coastguard undeniably support forced returns to Libya, where detention and abuse are the norms.

“MSF presence in the Central Mediterranean is a direct result of the progressive and shameful disengagement from European state-led proactive SAR naval capacity from the Mediterranean Sea,” says Juan Matias Gil, MSF SAR Representative.

The horrors that refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrants experience in Libya, whether before their attempt to cross the Central Mediterranean or after having been forcibly returned, are often unimaginable.

Based on the testimonies of the people rescued by MSF teams who have found the courage to share their stories, MSF has documented the brutal impact and the harrowing accounts of violence inflicted upon thousands of men, women, and children trapped between the sea and Libya.

On May 10, two rescues took place during the night at the same time. They went on for more than 5 hours. The 111 survivors were sailing in rubber boats. Photographer: Anna Pantelia Copyright: Anna Pantelia/MSF

“The policemen, the coastguard, the army never care about us. […] They beat me a lot, they all beat you. Until you faint. Until you collapse. […] So many severe punishments in that country […] Why is the European Union supporting these people? I said ‘God, please help me.’ […] If Nigeria was safe, I wouldn’t be in this land. […] So when I was preparing for this third time, I said ‘God, I would rather die in the sea than be returned back to Libyan detention centres’. I cried, I cried. So, for this third time, I boarded another boat,” A 25-year-old male from Nigeria said.

According to survivors’ testimonies collected on board, 84% of no less than 620 violent events shared by rescued survivors with MSF had occurred in Libya, among which 68% reportedly occurred within the year prior to being rescued.

A significant number of these events happened after having been intercepted by the Libyan coastguard and subsequently locked up in detention centers. Survivors reported that perpetrators were guards in detention centers (34%), the Libyan coastguard (15%), non-state or military police (11%), and smugglers/traffickers (10%).

🔴 41 people have been rescued by #GeoBarents from two fiber boats in distress in Maltese SAR Zone after an alert issued by @alarm_phone. Everyone is now safe on board of #GeoBarents, while we continue the search for more boats in distress. pic.twitter.com/mr1KUESe6P

— MSF Sea (@MSF_Sea) July 7, 2022

Our teams also documented significant levels of violence against women and children – 29% of those were minors, the youngest being 8 years old, and 18% of the victims were women.

“Most prevalent health consequences of the recorded violent events were linked to blunt trauma, burns, fractures, head injuries, injuries related to sexual violence, and mental health disorders. Others include long-term physical disability, pregnancies, malnutrition, and chronic pain,” explains Stephanie Hofstetter, Medical Team Leader on board of the Geo Barents.

Since the beginning of the Geo Barents SAR operations in June 2021, we have also continued to witness the normalization of stand-offs at sea and the distress this practice creates. MSF requests for a place of safety to disembark survivors have been systematically ignored or denied by the Maltese authorities, while those to Italian authorities have been met with an ever-increasing delay.

Stand-offs at sea not only impede prompt access to a full assessment of medical and protection needs but also prolong the suffering of the survivors.

Changing this deadly migration policy is not only necessary but also possible. Europe has demonstrated in the context of the crisis in Ukraine that it can implement a humane approach to forced migration.

The protection of everyone’s life should apply regardless of race, gender, country of origin, political or religious beliefs, and equal treatment – with respect to their rights and dignity – should be given to those seeking safety at Europe’s door.