Sea Watch criticised the lives lost “needlessly” due to the heavy handed tactics of the coast guard who are currently being trained and financed by the European Union. These deaths have to be blamed on the Libyan coast guard who have obstructed a safe rescue with their brutal behaviour. The Libyan boat took a number of migrants back to Libya while 58 survivors were on board the Sea Watch 3 boat. Libyan coast guard commander, Abu Ajala Amer Abdel-Bari, said the German NGO had undermined its rescue operations by approaching its boat. Recent European efforts to fund and train the Libyan coast guard have helped slow numbers of migrants attempting to reach Europe via Libya on traffickers’ boats.

Source: Libya Today November 07, 2017 14:03 UTC