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[webfact]

Libyan coastguard turns back nearly 500 migrants after altercation with NGO ship

By Ahmed Elumami

REUTERS

 

Illegal migrants arrive by boat at a naval base after they were rescued by Libyan coastguard in the coastal city of Tripoli, Libya, May 10, 2017. REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny

 

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya's coastguard said it had intercepted nearly 500 migrants packed onto a wooden boat and returned them to Tripoli on Wednesday after warning off a ship that was preparing to pick them up for passage to Europe.

 

Footage filmed by Sea-Watch, a non-governmental organisation, showed a Libyan coastguard vessel coming within metres of its own ship as it sped to stop the migrants.

 

Tripoli coastguard spokesman Ayoub Qassem said the incident occurred about 19 miles (30 km) north of Libya's coast.

 

It highlighted the confusion in the crowded waters as desperate migrants try to reach a better life and authorities scramble to deal with the chaos.

 

"An international rescue organisation called Sea-Watch tried to hinder the work of our coastguard ... in a bid to take the migrants, claiming Libya is not safe for migrants," he said.

 

Qassem said the coastguard had also exchanged fire with smugglers, but gave no details.

 

Ruben Neugebauer, a spokesman for Sea-Watch, said the NGO had received instruction from Italy's coastguard control centre in Rome that the Libyan coastguard would be taking over "on-scene command", and that the Sea-Watch ship had stopped to await further instructions.

 

"Without any warning, they crossed our bow on the way to the migrant boat," Neugebauer said. "They made an extremely dangerous manoeuvre. They nearly hit our boat, they endangered our crew."

 

Libya is the main departure point for migrants hoping to reach Europe by sea. The country has been in turmoil for years and migrants living there or passing through say they are subject to a range of abuses. A record 181,000 made the trip in 2016 and arrivals in Italy so far this year are up 30 percent. Most are from sub-Saharan Africa.

 

PERILOUS JOURNEY

 

Most migrants attempt the perilous journey on flimsy inflatable boats provided by smugglers that are barely equipped to make it to international waters. Larger wooden boats carrying several hundred migrants are rarer.

 

Some migrants are turned back by the Libyan coastguard, which generally delivers them to detention centres notorious for poor conditions and ill-treatment. The coastguard is receiving training from the European Union as it seeks to limit migrant departures and deaths.

 

Other migrants are taken to Italy after being picked up by NGO ships that run rescue missions, European or Italian naval and coastguard patrols, and other international vessels.

 

Qassem said the wooden boat intercepted on Wednesday was carrying nearly 300 Moroccans, 145 Bangladeshis, 23 Tunisians, and other migrants from elsewhere in Africa and the Middle East.

 

Those on board said they had left the western Libyan city of Sabratha on Tuesday night. There were about 20 women, some five of whom were being taken for medical treatment as they arrived in Tripoli. One appeared to be seriously ill.

 

One 24-year-old Moroccan man said he had come to Libya five weeks earlier in order to try to reach Europe. A 28-year-old man, also Moroccan, said he had been working in Libya for four years, but had decided to leave because the situation was deteriorating.

 

A Syrian woman on board said she had travelled through six countries to reach Libya, paying $1,000 in each and leaving two sons aged 12 and 13 behind in Jordan.

 

"I wanted to leave for Europe," she said. "It was an attempt to get a better life and reunite my whole family in Europe, but unfortunately we couldn't make it."

 

(Additional reporting by Steve Scherer in Rome; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Gareth Jones and Alison Williams)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-05-11

[Scott]

Inflammatory post has been removed.  

[sweatalot]

Libyan coastguard turns back nearly 500 migrants

 

Isn't this the way it should be?

 

Help them in their own country

instead of letting them in to destabilize Europe -

where they don't belong anyway with a hostile religion that does not belong there

Edited May 11, 2017 by sweatalot

[Scott]

Although this sounds like it is a little more complicated that simply turning people back, it was the Libyan Coastguard who returned them to Libya.  

[Pdaz]

About time the European Govt's realised that these NGO do gooders are just encouraging migrants to undertake a fruitless journey and at the same time enriching criminal people smugglers. When is someone going to put a stop to this mass invasion abetted by criminals ? What happens when the entire population of Africa decides to move North ? Are the do gooders still going to welcome them ?

[klauskunkel]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

300 Moroccans, 145 Bangladeshis, 23 Tunisians, and other migrants from elsewhere in Africa and the Middle East.

Looks like they don't like to live in their home countries anymore. I wonder what these countries all have in common... (and not just the religion). And once they are rooted in Europe, they will try to make their new home like their old home, so they can be miserable, again.

[hansnl]

1 hour ago, sweatalot said:

Libyan coastguard turns back nearly 500 migrants

 

Isn't this the way it should be?

 

Help them in their own country

instead of letting them in to destabilize Europe -

where they don't belong anyway with a hostile religion that does not belong there

The coastguard did a very good job.

[boomerangutang]

It's what should have been happening for prior years.  The migrants are pissed off, because they want to get to Europe and the hand-outs and jobs available there.   I suspect Libyan coast guard are getting  help/funding/boats from European entities, probably clandestinely.

[steven100]

well done .....  maybe this will set a precedent ...  

[Pdaz]

Why can't they help themselves ? They hated being Western colonies and wanted independence but now want their former colonial masters to give them hand outs, assistance and free entry to the West. 

 

 

[Pdaz]

The combined navies of Europe should be there blockading these illegals. Returning them to the African coast, destroying their boats and the bases of the people smugglers. Once any hope of illegal entry into Europe is destroyed they will stop coming. 

Edited May 11, 2017 by Pdaz
Typo

[Jasonron]

It's really a good job what the coast guard did. The so called do gooders in the name of humanity do more harm than good. There are scores of men in particular leaving their home countries wanting to migrate to the west. These people bribe all their way to reach the greener pastures. Why have any mercy on them. Religion is the sole responsible reason for the conditions in their home countries and of course these same people are to be blamed for their choice of governance and leaders. They despise the living conditions and situations in their own countries. The irony is the same people who some how enter the new countries either illegally or legally and finally they try to recreate the same situations and conditions they hated back home. Why have mercy on these facist inhuman creatures ...

[nahkit]

A Syrian woman on board said she had travelled through six countries to reach Libya

 

Must have been walking around in circles.

[just.a.thought]

Everyone entering Europe illegal should be sent back, no exception. If they have a right to enter then get the proper documents and visa. Clearly they can afford to buy a ticket for the airplane, it's a heck of a lot cheaper than paying the smugglers.

 

[mrwebb8825]

So, their example of why we should have pity on them and help them is a mother who, instead of buying food for her kids, spent $6000 breaking several laws and ditched her kids in hopes that Europe would open it's arms, give her a free life and pay to retrieve her abandon children. 

 

Did some quick searching on "Sea-Watch" - it's funded indirectly by the freakin UN. Kind of counterproductive to enforce sanctions and pay people to violate them at the same time.

Edited May 12, 2017 by mrwebb8825

[Stargeezr]

I agree that Europe should be helping the Libyan navy to blockade these boats and send everyone back to Libya. Let people know that either they go to Europe legally or not at all. Make them understand that the smugglers are wanted men and get their names so they can be located and arrested and jailed. End this senseless waste of money and tragedy. or it will keep on for the rest of our lives.

Geezer