On March 27, the UN Independent Fact Finding Mission on Libya released its final report where they concluded that “there are grounds to believe a wide array of war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed against Libyans and migrants stuck in Libya by State security forces and armed militia groups”.
According to IOM Libya, in the period between March 5 and 11, 403 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya.
On March 25, Sea-Watch witnessed the attack by carried out by Libyan coastguard on a boat in distress carrying around 84 people off Libya and the crew of SOS Méditerranée who was approaching to carry out search and rescue. The Libyan coast guard approached dangerously close, threatening the crew & shooting in the air. On March 12, 30 people died in the Central Mediterranean Sea after Italian, Maltese, and Libyan authorities failed to intervene despite the several distress alerts sent by Alarm Phone and Sea-Watch. When the boat capsized, only 17 people were rescued alive by a merchant vessel. In response to the shipwreck, the European Commission promisedmore operational support to Libya in terms of boat provision to the Libyan coast guard. On March 11, the Italian coast guard rescued a boat in distress in the Italian SAR area, that had left Libya carrying more than 500 people. The search and rescue operation was carried out more than 24 hours after the first distress alert sent by Alarm Phone.
On March 8, IOM director general Antonio Vitorino said that according to official numbers around 5000 migrants are currently being held in Libyan detention centres. However, this figure might just be the tip of the iceberg, given the possible existence of non-official detention centers to which neither the IOM nor the UNHCR have any kind of knowledge and access. Vitorino called the existence of these facilities “unacceptable” and said the agency has always made it clear that detention is “not a solution.” In a statement published on March 9, 15 human rights organisations warned of the deteriorating situation of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in Libya. The statement mentions the terrible conditions in Libyan detention centres and the cycle of violence against migrants fostered by the collaboration between the EU, the EU member states and Libyan authorities. Finally, the document also points at the shrinking of civic space, produced by the increasing criminalisation of activists and the crackdown on civil society organisations.
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