EU ‘worried’ as Libyan Coast Guard fires on European rescue vessel

A Libyan coast guard vessel donated by Italy and funded by the EU fired “hundreds of bullets” at a rescue ship in international waters. The European Commission has called the incident “a worrying development.” That said, it continues to support Libyan authorities under the EU’s migration cooperation deal.

Armed violence against humanitarian workers

The Ocean Viking, operated by SOS Mediterranee, had just rescued a group of migrants when a patrol boat approached and opened fire. The NGO reported that two men from the Libyan vessel shot “hundreds of bullets” at the crew over a 10-minute span. The attack shattered windows, damaged rescue equipment, and struck the bridge of the ship at head height.

Despite the Ocean Viking’s distress call, no nearby vessels came to its aid. The ship was operating 40 nautical miles off the coast of Libya i.e. well within international waters. The Libyan coast guard had no authority to force the ship to leave. However, the SOS Mediterranee said the crew complied due to the coast guard’s “track record of dangerous behaviour.”

Mounting criticism of EU–Libya cooperation

The shooting follows growing concern about the shrinking presence of rescue vessels in the Mediterranean, as the EU expands anti-search and rescue policies in the Mediterranean.

Italian opposition leaders are calling for the EU’s cooperation deal with Libya to be revoked. Angelo Bonelli of Europa Verde condemned the attack as a “deliberate” act of aggression. He noted that the patrol boat involved was “an Italian vessel handed over to militias operating outside of all legality.”

InfoMigrants reports,

“Continuing to finance and arm the so-called Libyan Coast Guard means being complicit. The reality is that our country is held hostage to the blackmail of human traffickers, while the Meloni government remains immobile and silent.”

“I demand that Italy immediately cease all collaboration with the Libyan authorities, revoke funding, and block the delivery of further vessels. It is intolerable that our ships are being transformed into instruments of violence against those who save lives,” he continued.

Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, however, defended the Italian government, saying that search and rescue operations are the state’s responsibility, not NGOs’. In response, Nicola Fratoianni of the Italian Left accused the government of enabling human rights abuses by legitimizing violent Libyan militias.

What will it take to make the EU change its policy?

This is not the first such incident. The same class of patrol boat fired on the Ocean Viking in July 2023, also during a rescue. Italy and the EU had donated two Corrubia-class vessels to Libya just weeks earlier. Since 2017, EU institutions have committed over €59 million to the Libyan coast guard.

The Libyan coast guard has long been documented committing abuses against migrants, including detention, torture, and forced labor. Despite this, the EU has continued to fund and train Libyan authorities as part of its migration deterrence strategy. The Freedom United community has repeatedly raised the alarm that this cooperation facilitates human trafficking and forced labor.

The European Commission claims it is “establishing the facts” and has contacted Libyan authorities. But spokespersons say they were unaware of past attacks and declined to say whether any action had been taken.

The EU must end its complicity in trafficking and violence. Partnering with known abusers is not migration management — it’s state-enabled exploitation. Join our call to end cooperation with Libya.