Civil rescue groups in Mediterranean cut ties with Libyan coastguard

Accusations of violent interceptions and human rights violations levelled at EU-funded Libyan services by NGOsEurope live – latest updatesMore than a dozen NGO rescue vessels operating in the Mediterranean have suspended communication with the Libyan coastguard, citing escalating incidents of asylum seekers being violently intercepted at sea and taken to camps rife with torture, rape and forced labour.The 13 search-and-rescue organisations described their decision as a rejection of mounting pressure by the EU, and Italy in particular, to share information with the Libyan coastguard, which receives training, equipment and funding from the EU. Continue reading...