Over the last two years, the number of people leaving Tunisia by boat to reach Italy has been increasing. This analysis describes the latest developments along this route, while placing them in the broader framework of European border outsourcing policies. …
by the Civil MRCC legal team On August 21, 2023, the rescue ship Aurora from Sea Watch was detained by the Italian authorities after refusing to disembark survivors in Tunisia as ordered by the Rome MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Center),…
Ċetta and Daniel Mainwaring, in cooperation with the SARchive and documentation team of the CMRCC “We suffer the consequences of policies drawn up in Europe with our lives, our blood, and our loved ones.” David Yambio, a young Sudanese refugee…
By Sophie-Anne Bisiaux and Reece Marlowe Since the summer of 2021, SSA (Stability Support Apparatus) vessels have appeared off the Libyan coast, participating in interceptions and the push-backs of migrant boats to Libya. Made up of various militias from the…
The case of the El Hiblu 3 four years on Abdalla, Amara and Kader still face injustice in Malta. Over four years ago, on 28th March 2019, they had arrived on the merchant vessel El Hiblu 1, whose crew had…
By Alarm Phone In the previous edition of ECHOES, we highlighted the growing concerns regarding a potential collaboration between Italy and Eastern Libya, which could lead to an anticipated increase in pullback operations within the “SAR3” region. Shortly after the…
Is “SAR 3” a New Operations Area for NGO Ships? By Alarm Phone Between 2022 and 2023, a considerable increase in boat departures from eastern Libya has been observed. This route was one of the more frequently used prior to…
By Captain Support & Feminist Autonomous Centre for Research Across the EU and its member states, migration is constructed as a threat that needs to be defended against. Particular emphasis in this is given to “migrant smuggling,” framed as a…
Sophie-Anne Bisiaux Border externalization has in the last few years become the main instrument through which the EU seeks to stop people on the move heading to Europe. The principle is as simple as it is cynical: outsource border control…