SOS Méditerranée Warns of Escalating Harassment of Migrant Boats and Rescue Ships Off Libya

French NGO SOS Méditerranée said the central Mediterranean has grown increasingly hostile for migrants and rescue crews, citing at least seven incidents in June and July 2026 in which boats 'linked to Libyan actors' approached its rescue vessels at high speed or trailed them for hours, including what it called violent interceptions and deliberate ramming of boats carrying people in distress. The group said the escalating threats have accompanied expanded European cooperation with Libyan entities on migration deterrence; legal proceedings are ongoing in Italy, France and Germany over a prior incident in which the Libyan coastguard allegedly fired more than 100 shots at its Ocean Viking vessel in international waters with 87 rescued migrants aboard. IOM data cited alongside the warning recorded 821 Mediterranean-wide deaths and disappearances in the first four months of 2026, a 111% increase year-on-year, even as overall migrant arrivals fell 46% to 8,577 amid tougher European policies.