More Gunfire from the So-Called Libyan Coast Guard: Now with the Support of the German Federal Government?

Empty boat on the seaSoizic Roux

Irini Mandate Extended with Serious Amendments

Yesterday, the German Bundestag talked about the Irini mandate. This mandate is reviewed at regular intervals. This time, however, a devastating change in wording has been introduced, which will now allow the German armed forces (Bundeswehr) to equip and train the so-called Libyan coast guard. In previous versions of the mandate, this had been suspended due to the lack of reliable partners in Libya.

In the current mandate, this fact no longer seems to matter. “The political situation in Libya remains marked by a stalled political transition process, conflicting political factions and increasingly divided institutions in the East and West.” Nevertheless, the new mandate text states: “The operation also supports relevant Libyan institutions responsible for law enforcement and search and rescue at sea, in building their capacities and conducting training in maritime law enforcement (…)”. What exactly these changes mean is not clearly communicated or further explained in the mandate.

The so-called Libyan coast guard regularly violates human rights and uses extreme violence against people fleeing by sea as well as against crews on rescue ships. In recent weeks alone, four rescue ships flying European flags and carrying numerous rescued individuals on board were directly fired upon by the so-called Libyan coast guard. Another dramatic incident occurred this week involving a wooden boat carrying 140 people fleeing across the sea. In that case, Libyan militias deliberately opened fire on the people onboard. One person is now in a coma with a severe gunshot wound and two others were seriously injured.

With the amendment to the Irini mandate, the German Bundeswehr would now be able to supply weapons for such attacks to the so-called Libyan coast guard and provide training to these militias for such maneuvers.While many European countries already support this actively, the German government had previously refrained from doing so. This amendment marks a new milestone in the brutal migration policy of the current German government and makes the work of sea rescuers even more dangerous.

Anna di Bari, board member of Sea-Eye, warns: “When Europe releases funds, it actively contributes to financing human rights violations — now even with a blank check from Germany. People leave their homes because they have no other choice; they endure extreme hardship and deadly risks in the hope of a safe life. And now it seems Germany is choosing to support those who drag back people who are seeking protection and torture, rape and even kill them. The federal government must reveal its plans: Is it truly preparing to train those actors who shoot at people seeking protection? We will not allow more and more European tax money to flow into a border policy that disregards human dignity.”

The previous German government had taken a first step by halting training efforts, in order to ensure that this task would no longer be part of the mission across Europe. Sea-Eye demands full transparency of the current plans and an immediate end to any cooperation with Libyan militias.

What is the Irini Mandate?
The EUNAVFOR MED Irini operation is intended to ensure the enforcement of the arms embargo against Libya. However, the mandate also includes a number of additional tasks, such as enforcing measures against the illegal export of oil from Libya, monitoring and potentially dismantling illegal human trafficking activities at sea and now also supporting relevant institutions in Libya.

Italian Court Confirms Unlawful Detention

WavesAnna Dütsch

When Human Lives Become a Matter of Negotiation: Europe’s Approach to Sea Rescue

This week, a court in Trapani confirmed it once again: the detention of the rescue vessel MEDITERRANEA, operated by the Italian organization Mediterranea Saving Humans, was illegal. In August, the rescue ship entered the port of safety in Trapani with ten rescued people on board – despite the fact that Italian authorities had previously assigned them the port of Genoa. The reason: the people on board were in urgent need of medical attention.

As a consequence, Italian authorities detained the ship based on the so-called Piantedosi Decree – an instrument that has already been overturned in court in at least ten cases. In more than twice as many proceedings, verdicts are still pending.

Anna di Bari, board member of Sea-Eye, explains: “Systematic attempts to put pressure on civil sea rescue are nothing new. But the court decisions make it clear: Italy is abusing the law to deter. Those who save people are criminalised – those who let them die are courted.”

Data from Matteo Villa also show that the former SEA-EYE 4 – now operating as MEDITERRANEA – is particularly frequently affected by criminalization. Its excellent suitability for saving lives has become a disadvantage: by assigning ports that are far away, its missions are deliberately restricted and rescue capacities reduced.

Although MEDITERRANEA has been detained especially often, many other civil rescue ships are also affected. For instance, the Geo Barents, operated by Doctors Without Borders, has already been detained four times – in two of those cases, legal proceedings to clarify the legitimacy are still ongoing. Organizations such as Sea-Watch and Sea-Eye have also repeatedly faced detentions. This demonstrates how systematic these detentions are – and how deliberately rescue efforts in the Mediterranean are being hindered or prevented. The current court ruling once again makes it clear how often these measures are unlawful.

About the Piantedosi Decree

2022: The Beginning of a Restrictive Policy Shift via the Piantedosi Decree:
During a mission in June 2022, the crew of the SEA-EYE 4 rescued around 500 people. During this mission, the first signs of a political shift in Italy became apparent: in December of the same year, for the first time, Italian authorities directly assigned a port during an ongoing rescue operation – a foreshadowing of what the Piantedosi Decree would bring.

The decree obliges rescue ships to head to an assigned – often distant – port immediately after a single rescue, instead of continuing with further rescues. Non-compliance is punished with heavy fines and vessel seizures. A turning point that has severely hampered civilian sea rescue operations.