Questions in Malta over return of migrants to Libya
LIBYA – The Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) have given no clear answers about the forced return to Libya of 30 people who were aboard a migrant boat reported in distress on 24 October, even though the alleged incident took place inside Malta’s search and rescue zone, according to a report by the Maltese English-language news site Newsbook.
The report, whose contents were followed and summarised by Al-Marsad, said the Maltese military stated that it had no information about the boat, which was intercepted and returned to Libya, after a delay in responding to press enquiries.
Late response and confirmation from migrants’ relatives
According to the report, the response came two days later, even though Italy’s rescue coordination centre had identified Malta as the authority responsible for the area where the incident took place and relatives of the 30 people had confirmed they were forced back. The AFM had earlier said it would not be able to respond by the deadline.
The report said the available information indicates that the boat, which set off from Zuwara, was returned by armed Libyan parties in a violent manner, an account carried by the report that has not been confirmed by the Maltese authorities.
Rescue intervention figures for 2025
The site linked the incident to what it described as a pattern repeated for years, in which Malta’s military establishment avoids explaining what happens to people in waters within its area of responsibility.
It said the AFM intervened in only three of 565 distress calls within Malta’s search and rescue zone in 2025, while the Libyan coast guard was allowed to enter the zone 34 times, resulting, according to the report, in more than 1,500 migrants being returned to Libya.
