Italy not liable for migrant deaths in Libyan shipwreck, EU court rules

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that Italy cannot be held legally responsible for the deaths and mistreatment of migrants aboard a ship that capsized in 2017 after being intercepted by the Libyan Coast Guard, Associated Press reports.

The incident occurred in November 2017 when a migrant boat carrying roughly 150 people began sinking off the coast of Libya. A distress call was answered by Sea-Watch, a German NGO operating rescue missions in the Mediterranean. However, the Libyan Coast Guard also arrived and allegedly rammed the vessel and opened fire.

The boat involved, named Ras Jadir, had been donated by Italy under its controversial agreement with Libya to curb migration. During the incident, 20 migrants drowned, and many others were reportedly abused after being detained and taken to the Tajura Detention Center in Tripoli.

Although Italy played a key role in training, funding, and supplying Libya’s coast guard, the ECHR concluded that Rome did not exert “effective control” over the waters near Tripoli at the time of the incident and therefore could not be held accountable. It concluded that the captain and crew of Ras Jadir had acted independently when answering the distress signal.

The case was filed by 14 survivors who were rescued by Sea-Watch and later reached Italy. Legal experts note that a ruling against Italy could have set a precedent, potentially challenging broader EU migration deals with Libya, Turkey, and other countries aimed at deterring migrants from reaching Europe.