Thread by @alarm_phone

Our first ‘Central Mediterranean Regional Analysis’ has been published – covering the period between 18 March - 30 June 2019. During this period, we were alerted to 24 distress situations in the Central #Mediterranean region, involving over 1,700 people.
alarmphone.org/en/2019/07/04/…

9 of these 24 boats were returned to #Libya. 7 were rescued to #Malta and 4 to #Italy. 1 boat was intercepted by the #Tunisian coastguards. The fate of 3 boats remains unknown. Until 30 June 2019, about 3,800 people have arrived in #Europe via the Central #Mediterranean route.

Our regional analysis focuses on 4 main topics: 1) NGOs rescuing at sea and attempts of European authorities to criminalise them. Though facing repression, they do not give up! Currently, #Mediterranea and #Sea-Eye are on search and rescue missions near the Libyan death-zone.

2) The Interception and Refoulement Industry off the coast of #Libya & #Tunisia. The capture and forced return of #migrant travellers at sea is orchestrated by European forces, increasingly so from the air, and carried out by the so-called Libyan coastguards or merchant vessels.

3) The emergent Coalitions of Solidarity against Death at Sea. Humanitarian rescuers, representatives of municipalities, and activist groups are coming together under the slogan ‘from the sea to the city’ to put an end to these lethal #borders and welcome newcomers to #Europe.

4) The Struggles of #Migrants at Sea. Over the past months, boats have made it much further north & many have reached Europe independently. Migrants are not passive subjects but people enacting their freedom of movement when trying to cross the dangerous #Med.
#safepassage

We will continue our support of these disobedient movements at sea. We will continue in our struggle against the criminalisation of migration & rescue. With those on the move we will build bridges across barriers! Brick by brick, wall by wall, we’ll make Fortress Europe fall!