Libyan Coast Guard
The Libyan Coast Guard is organizationally part of the Libyan Navy, although it operates as a proxy force of the European Union in order to prevent migrants from reaching the EU's borders.[2][3][4][5] As of 2015, the Libyan Coast Guard has over 1,000 personnel.[1] Since 2015, it received $455 million from the European Union.[6] The Libyan Coast Guard is involved in human trafficking, modern slavery, torture, and other human rights violations.[7]
| Libyan Coast Guard | |
|---|---|
Racing Stripe of the Libyan Coast Guard | |
| Active | 1970–present |
| Country | Libya |
| Branch | Libyan Navy |
| Type | Coast guard |
| Size | 1,000 (As of 2015).[1] |
| Garrison/HQ | Tripoli |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Commodore Abdallah Toumia |
| Spokesman | Brig. Ayoub Qassim |
| Insignia | |
| Seal of Libyan Coast Guard | |
| Naval ensign | |
| Flag of the Libyan Navy | |
| Libyan Coast Guard Racing Stripe | |
History
The foundation of the Libyan Coast Guard dates back to 1970 when the previously separate customs and harbor police were joined in a single command within the Libyan Navy and under the Ministry of Defense.[1]
In 2006–2008 the Coast Guard fleet was renewed and equipped with 'stealth' 30-knot (56 km/h; 35 mph) cruising speed PV30-LS patrol boats from the Croatian shipyard Adria-Mar.[1]
In 2017 the coast guard were criticised for failing to respond to ten vessels in distress.[8]
During the 2015 European migrant crisis, the Libyan Coast Guard intercepted refugee and migrant boats travelling across the Mediterranean Sea, per a funding agreement reached with Frontex, the European border agency. The interceptions have been criticised as "worsening the crisis" and in November 2021 were reported to result in 27,500 people being returned to detention centres.[9][10]
In May 2021 Salvatore Quinci, the mayor Mazaro del Vallo reported the second recent incident where fishermen were shot at by the coast guard, the later incident non fatality injuring one man.[11]
In July 2021 the Libyan Coast Guard was criticised for chasing and then shooting at a migrant boat.[12]
Later in July 2021, a former senior Libyan police officer accused the coast guard of robbing people, and of being people smugglers.[13]
In November 2021, the coast guard threatened the German humanitarian vessel Sea Watch 4.[14]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "Coast Guard". www.globalsecurity.org.
- ^ "Europe's border agency under fire for aiding Libya's brutal migrant detentions". NBC News. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
The E.U., led by Italy, has trained and equipped the Libyan Coast Guard to serve as a proxy maritime force, whose central purpose is to stop migrants from reaching European shores.
- ^ Panebianco, Stefania (2020). "The EU and migration in the Mediterranean: EU borders' control by proxy". Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. 48 (6): 1398–1416. doi:10.1080/1369183X.2020.1851468. S2CID 234686316.
- ^ Heller, Charles and Pezzani, Lorenzo (2019). "Sea Watch vs the Libyan Coast Guard". Forensic Architecture. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Revealed: the great European refugee scandal". the Guardian. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
- ^ Karasapan, Omer (2 November 2021). "Libya's migrants and crimes against humanity". Brookings. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
- ^ Kalpouzos, Ioannis (2020). "International Criminal Law and the Violence against Migrants". German Law Journal. 21 (3): 571–597. doi:10.1017/glj.2020.24. ISSN 2071-8322. S2CID 216289557.
- ^ "'It's a day off': wiretaps show Mediterranean migrants were left to die". the Guardian. 2021-04-16. Retrieved 2021-11-14.
- ^ "How migrants and asylum seekers in Libya lost faith in foreign aid". The New Humanitarian. 2021-11-02. Retrieved 2021-11-14.
- ^ "Pope: Don't send migrants back to Libya and 'inhumane' camps". AP NEWS. 2021-10-24. Retrieved 2021-11-14.
- ^ Rome, AFP in (2021-05-06). "Italian fisher wounded after Libyan coastguard reportedly shot at boat". the Guardian. Retrieved 2021-11-14.
- ^ "Caught on camera: Libyan coastguard shoots at migrant boat". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-11-14.
- ^ "[On board with SOS Méditerranée] Libyan police lieutenant: 'Coast guard are smugglers'". EUobserver. Retrieved 2021-11-14.
- ^ "NGO: Libyan Coast Guard threatens German relief ship". 218 News. 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
External links
- Libyan Coast Guard page on the Libya Observer