Migrant boat in distress ignored by Libyan coastguard

A rubber boat carrying around 100 migrants spent hours in distress off the Libyan coast, as officials ignored calls for assistance, according to reports by Euronews.

Pilotes Volontaires, which provides aerial observation support to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) carrying out rescue operations at sea, had spotted the boat in distress around noon on 16 September.

“Today our Colibri spotted a rubber boat in distress with approximately 100 people on board. We informed Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Rome, but they referred to Libyan authorities who are not responding. Until his time we do not know when these people will be rescued,” the rescue group tweeted as they waited for a rescue confirmation.

The stranded migrants waited at least eight hours between the time the NGO alerted the MRCC in Rome and when they were rescued. The two pilots finally received information that the vessel had been rescued by the Libyan coastguard.

Since June, Libya has officially taken responsibility for conducting the search and rescue operations of a large area of the sea from North Africa to Europe including the area where the boat in distress was spotted.

It took the pilots a dozen exchanges throughout the day before the rescue operation was finally triggered according to the rescue group.

Upon receiving reports of the rescue on Sunday evening, Pilotes Volontaires expressed concern that the migrants had been taken back to Libya, which it said “is not a safe place for fleeing people.”

TMP – 23/10/2018

Photo credit: Pilotes Volontaires / Twitter. Photo caption: Pilots Volontaires plane scans the horizon looking for migrants in distress.