Mediterranean migrants face Libyan threats, aid group says

Migrants crossing the central Mediterranean and rescue ships helping them face increasing threats and harassment from Libyan groups, SOS Mediterranee said Monday.

The aid group said the sea route was becoming “increasingly hostile” and linked that trend to the expansion of European cooperation with Libyan actors on migration deterrence.

SOS Mediterranee said that on at least seven occasions in June and July, boats “linked to Libyan actors” approached rescue vessels at high speed or followed them for hours, including chases into international waters.

The group also said there had been a significant increase in unidentified speed boats linked to armed groups in Libya. It alleged that some carried out violent interceptions, including deliberately ramming boats carrying people in distress and making manoeuvres that endangered lives.

SOS Mediterranee last year accused the Libyan coast guard of attacking its Ocean Viking rescue ship in international waters. The group said more than 100 shots were fired, putting the crew and 87 rescued migrants at risk. It said legal proceedings had begun in Italy, France and Germany, and called for a full independent investigation.

The International Organization for Migration said this month that 821 people died or were reported missing in the central Mediterranean in the first four months of the year, up 111 percent from the same period in 2025. The IOM said migrant arrivals over the same period fell 46 percent to 8,577.