NGO Sea-Watch has filed a criminal complaint accusing the Italian coastguard of negligence and “multiple manslaughter” following a shipwreck off Lampedusa in early September that left 21 migrants dead. The group claims that the coastguard failed to respond promptly after being alerted to the distressed boat, which had departed from Libya.
A Sea-Watch aircraft identified the boat, carrying 28 people, near Lampedusa on September 2, but the coastguard did not deploy a rescue vessel until September 4. By then, 21 people had already died, and only seven survivors, all Syrian men, were rescued.
The complaint, filed with the Agrigento prosecutor’s office, alleges the coastguard neglected its duties, leading to the deaths. Sea-Watch demands accountability for those responsible, with a spokesperson emphasizing the need to end impunity for such failures.
Italy’s coastguard and the prosecutor’s office have not yet responded to the allegations.
In recent years, Italy has tightened its stance on migration, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government imposing restrictions on migrant rescue operations and collaborating with Libya and Tunisia to limit migrant flows. The Mediterranean remains one of the deadliest routes for migrants, with over 1,700 deaths or disappearances reported this year alone.
