- SOS Mediterranee Says Central Mediterranean Is Becoming Increasingly Hostile Amid Growing Cooperation With Libyan Actors
MARSEILLE: A leading humanitarian organization has warned that migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean and the rescue vessels assisting them are facing increasingly dangerous conditions, including harassment and potentially life-threatening encounters involving Libyan groups.
SOS Mediterranee, which operates as part of a broader network of ships and aircraft monitoring the central Mediterranean, said the region was becoming “increasingly hostile” amid what it described as expanded European cooperation with Libyan actors aimed at deterring irregular migration.
The organization said that on at least seven occasions in June and July, boats allegedly linked to Libyan actors approached rescue vessels at high speed or followed them for extended periods, including during what it described as pursuits into international waters.
SOS Mediterranee also reported a significant increase in unidentified speedboats allegedly associated with various armed groups in Libya.
According to the organization, some of the vessels were involved in what it characterized as violent interceptions, including deliberately ramming boats carrying migrants in distress and carrying out dangerous maneuvers that placed lives at risk.
Previous Incident Involving Ocean Viking
SOS Mediterranee recalled an incident last year in which it accused the Libyan coast guard of firing on its Ocean Viking rescue ship in international waters.
The organization said more than 100 shots were fired during the incident, placing the vessel’s crew and 87 rescued migrants in danger.
Legal proceedings have since been initiated in Italy, France and Germany, SOS Mediterranee said, but it accused European and national authorities of failing to provide sufficient answers.
The organization said those responsible had not been identified and called for a full and independent investigation into the incident.
Mediterranean Death Toll Rises Despite Fewer Crossings
The warning comes as the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports a sharp increase in deaths and disappearances along the central Mediterranean route.
The IOM said 821 migrants died or were reported missing during the first four months of the year, representing a 111 percent increase compared with the same period in 2025.
At the same time, the number of migrants attempting the crossing declined significantly. According to the IOM, migrant arrivals fell by 46 percent to 8,577 during the first four months of the year, a decline attributed to increasingly restrictive European migration policies.
The figures highlight the continuing dangers faced by people attempting the Mediterranean crossing, even as the number of journeys decreases, with humanitarian organizations calling for stronger protections for migrants and rescue crews operating in the region.
BY: The Times Union
