Libyan coast guard chase in the Mediterranean leaves 1 migrant dead, says NGO

ROME (AP) — The German nongovernmental organization Sea-Watch said on Monday that one migrant drowned and three others were rescued in the Mediterranean off the Libyan coast after their dinghy capsized during a chase by the Libyan coast guard.

On Sunday, a patrol boat from the Libyan coast guard intercepted a crowded dinghy carrying around 30 people off the Libyan coast, intending to return them to Libya, according to the NGO, which filmed the scene from its aircraft. The boat then tried to resist and flee, causing four people to fall into the water due to high waves.

“One person drowned under the eyes of our air crew … the person was basically abandoned at sea and all the other survivors were at first rescued by a merchant vessel which was in the surroundings,” Sea-Watch spokesperson Giorgia Linardi told The Associated Press. The survivors were then transferred to the Libyan coast guard patrol vessels and brought back to Libya, she added.

The Tripoli-based government and the Libyan coast guard didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Linardi also noted that these kinds of incidents are commonplace in the Libyan search-and-rescue area. However, this was one of the rare ones captured on video.

Monday’s incident follows a previous one, in which the vessel Sea-Watch 5 came under fire while rescuing 66 people at sea earlier this month. “At night, we were threatened by a Libyan militia vessel and ordered to leave their waters. Minutes after everyone was safely on board, a shot was fired,” the group said.

Sea-Watch argues that Italy’s requirement for permission from the Libyan coast guard for rescue operations violates international law. This is because the Libyan coast guard usually forces migrants back to Libya, a country not recognized as safe by Italian courts.

Italian authorities have accused Sea-Watch crews and other NGOs of being uncooperative with the Libyan coast guard, which is responsible for coordinating search and rescue efforts in the region.

Italy’s tough policies at illegal migration — pushed by right-wing Premier Giorgia Meloni — have also included the detention of rescue ships for extended periods.

— Sam Magdy contributed to this report from Cairo.