In a significant escalation of the long-standing tension over migration in the Central Mediterranean, more than a dozen independent sea-rescue organizations have announced the formation of a new coalition, the “justice fleet,” and are severing all communication with the Libyan Coast Guard.
The move comes with severe allegations from coalition members, who have directly accused the Libyan maritime force of committing crimes against humanity. In a statement, a spokesperson for the newly formed fleet condemned the unit’s practices, stating, “While we are rescuing people from distress to bring them to a place of safety, the Italian state as well as the European Union are complicit in these crimes against humanity.”
The organizations point to the funding, training, and equipment provided by the EU and Italy to Libyan militias, including the so-called Libyan Coast Guard, as the foundation for their complicity claim.
The central point of contention is the return of migrants to Libya. The rescue groups assert that the Libyan Coast Guard “never brings people to a place of safety as required by international law, but to Libya where they face torture, slavery, sexual abuse as established even by the United Nations.”
This stance is in direct opposition to the official EU position. The European Union has repeatedly defended its cooperation with Libya on migration policy, placing blame for migrant deaths on people’s smugglers and human traffickers “who profit from their misery.”
Declaring “enough is enough,” the justice fleet has committed to a unified front. A spokesperson outlined their goals: “to struggle together against state crimes, to strengthen solidarity networks with people trapped in Libya, and to stand tall against political attacks and to defend human rights.” The coalition aims to create “public and legal pressure to make political change happen.”
The formation of the new fleet and its hardened stance occurs against a backdrop of shifting migration patterns. European officials have noted a recent increase in migrant departures from Eastern Libya attempting to reach Greece, a development they have been actively working to address. The actions of the new justice fleet are likely to add a complex new dimension to the ongoing crisis.