VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A group of more than 100 people on a boat within Malta’s search-and-rescue (SAR) zone reported being fired upon by the Libyan coastguard on Sunday afternoon, according to NGO Alarm Phone.
Alarm Phone, which operates a hotline for migrants crossing the Mediterranean, said the distress call came at around 1.30pm from a vessel carrying some 113 people, located roughly 90 nautical miles southeast of Malta. “The people report they are being shot at by the so-called Libyan Coastguard right now!” the NGO wrote on social media, urging European authorities to act immediately to stop the attack and bring those on board to safety.
Malta’s SAR area, one of the largest in the Mediterranean, overlaps with its flight information region — a remnant of British rule. But NGOs often accuse Malta and Italy of slow responses to migrant distress calls while deepening cooperation with Libya to curb arrivals. Rights groups have repeatedly documented abuses against migrants in Libya, where rival governments and militias control different regions. Despite this instability, EU member states continue to rely on Libyan authorities to intercept migrant boats before they reach European waters. Malta has long argued that migration management requires regional coordination, though critics say its approach overlooks humanitarian obligations.
– photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
