Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) confirmed that its rescue ship Oyvon brought 31 migrants to safety on 21 September after Libyan armed men allegedly set their wooden boat on fire to prevent interception. Italian authorities designated the port of Catania for disembarkation, about 30 hours’ sailing from the rescue position. The group—mainly Sudanese and Eritrean nationals—includes eight women and four children. MSF’s medical staff treated several passengers for smoke inhalation and minor burns sustained during the arson attack. The incident occurred inside Libya’s search-and-rescue region but, according to MSF, Libyan coast-guard units failed to respond to multiple distress calls. Catania’s prefecture activated its standard migrant-processing protocol, deploying Red Cross teams, immigration police and UNHCR personnel. After security checks, adults will be transferred to reception centres in Sicily while minors will be placed under the tutelage of the Juvenile Court. The episode underlines continuing security risks along the Central Mediterranean route and may feature in the European Parliament’s upcoming debate on the renewal of Operation IRINI’s training component for Libyan forces. Corporate security officers moving expatriate staff through Libyan ports should re-evaluate evacuation contingencies and verify that insurance contracts cover maritime kidnapping and bodily harm.
Source: La Sicilia
