Life Support | 113 Rescued People Disembark in Naples

On Wednesday 17 December at the port of Naples, EMERGENCY’s search and rescue ship Life Support disembarked 113 people rescued in international waters in the central Mediterranean.

The people had been rescued in two separate operations. The first rescue of 69 people was conducted during the night between 12 and 13 December in the Libyan SAR zone, and the second rescue of 44 people was conducted on the evening of 14 December in the Maltese SAR zone.

The 113 people rescued, all male, had departed the Libyan coast. Among them were three unaccompanied minors. Their countries of origin included Bangladesh, Egypt and Pakistan, all impacted by the consequences of conflict, political instability, economic and climate crises, and food insecurity.

“Many of the rescued people shared their experiences with us, especially those in Libyan detention centres, where they were subjected to various types of violence,” said Annachiara Burgio, Cultural Mediator on board EMERGENCY’s ship Life Support. “Some bear the marks of inhumane treatment and torture on their bodies, and many have told us about the appalling conditions in which they were forced to live in these centres, harassed with constant threats and violence and in conditions with virtually no hygiene or sanitation. We hope that everyone will be able to rebuild their lives here in Italy or Europe.”

A young man from Bangladesh on board recounted his experience: “In my country, there is a lot of corruption and a lack of job opportunities. There have also been severe floods that have destroyed the area where I come from. This is why many young people decide to leave the country. These are the same reasons that prompted me to go to Libya. Life there is terrible. After two months of work, I was arrested on the street by some militias. They called my employer, and he managed to get me released. But I was still not free in Libya. My life consisted only of working, eating and sleeping. I knew the risks of travelling by sea to Europe, but like everyone else, I hope for a better life in Europe.”

“I tried to cross the sea three times,” the young man concludes. “The first time, the so-called Libyan Coast Guard intercepted us after fourteen hours of sailing and took us to prison, where I remained for a month. The second time, after an hour of sailing, the engine broke down and the smugglers took us back to shore. After two months, we got on another boat. I was terrified, but this time you rescued us. Now I would like to find a job and think about my future.”

With 1,190 dead and missing since the beginning of the year alone and over 26,000 people on the move intercepted and returned to Libya (IOM data), the central Mediterranean remains one of the deadliest migration routes in the world.

“During this mission, Life Support was unwillingly witness to two possible interceptions by third parties and the so-called Libyan Coast Guard, with collective pushbacks towards the Libyan coast, i.e., illegal pushbacks,” comments Jonathan Nanì La Terra, Head of Mission on board Life Support. “Unfortunately, we know from many testimonies over the years that the Mediterranean remains the scene not only of thousands of crossings, but also of interceptions, shipwrecks that are discovered too late or even unreported, and open cases that remain unresolved for far too long. This is another reason why it is important to put the protection of life at the centre of every decision concerning this sea and to strengthen rescue capabilities, including through a European SAR mission.”

In the days leading up to the rescue operations, Life Support had received two other reports of vessels in distress; upon arriving at the respective coordinates, it found only small, empty boats without engines, one of which was on fire. Following its two rescue operations, Life Support received authorisation to conduct a search pattern for an additional distress case, which was completed without success or further reports. We have no certainty as to what happened to this distress case.

Life Support has concluded its 39th mission in the central Mediterranean. Since December 2022, it has rescued a total of 3,234 people.