V_SAR Op 14/15.06.21 A

Illegal pushback from international waters to Libya operated by the merchant vessel Vos Triton (flying the flag of Gibraltar but owned by Vroon Italia) and directed by Frontex .

The ship Vos Triton took on board 170 asylum seekers in international waters but ignored their requests and waited at sea for several hours until the Libyan patrol boat Zawiya 656 arrived. The crew of the Vos Triton forcibly transferred the shipwrecked people to the patrol boat Zawiya 656, which headed towards Libya.

On the return journey, the Zawiya 656 intercepted a second boat of people fleeing Libya and captured them as well.

All the migrants captured were landed in Tripoli. The male migrants were then transferred to the Gharyan detention centre in Libya.

The JLProject has tracked down some of those pushed back, recognizable in the photos and videos of the case.

CASE DATA

Wooden boat with about 170 people
of different nationalities (mostly Egyptians, Algerians and Moroccans and a few Sudanese)  set sail from Zuwara on the night of 12 – 13 June 2021

The Frontex Heron Shoval drone (AS2132) flies over the boat repeatedly over several hours. The first flyover is at 4:30 UTC, that is, six and a half hours before the arrival of Vos Triton.

The boat’s engine broke down during the night between 13 and 14 June and the asylum seekers remained stranded at coordinates N 34°13.079′ E 011°56.00 5′ since at least 00:17 UTC on 14/06/2021,

In the morning (before 11:24 UTC) the merchant ship Vos Triton arrives and stops near the boat, without intervening.

Some migrants jump into the water, first among them Person M, our witness. They swim to the ship. There is a video of the moment, taken by Seabird. Eventually the Vos Triton takes on board all 170 asylum seekers.

The merchant ship Vos Triton flies the flag of Gibraltar but is owned by Vroon Italia.

At 15:40 UTC Vos Triton radioed that the Libyan patrol boat Zawiya 656 was arriving (radio call intercepted by Seabird)

Around 16:00 UTC, the patrol boat Zawiya arrives. The crew of the Vos Triton transfers the 170 asylum seekers to the Libyan patrol boat.

The patrol boat travels at night to deport asylum seekers to Libya. During the night it finds a second boat , with about 100 people on board, and picks them up as well.

On 15/06/2021 the patrol boat docks in Tripoli. The Libyans count the people. There are 277 in total, from the two boats. This includes 5 women and a child.

Nationalities of those migrants disembarked at Tripoli: Bangladesh 4, Burkina Faso 1, Chad 1, Egypt 163, Eritrea 32, Ethiopia 1, Gambia 3, Ghana 4, Guinea 2, Mali 1, Morocco 21, Nigeria 1, Sierra Leone 3, Sudan 14, Syria 23 and Tunisia 3.

We have photos of the landing, in which at least 100 people can be recognized.

UNHCR staff were at the port and posted a photo. They may have more.

After landing, the adult males are deported to the Gharyan detention centre.

FRONTEX DOCUMENTS

Frontex itself, in its internal documents, confirms its involvement in the pushback.

The case occurred under Joint Operation Themis. ‘Joint Operation Themis is a “synergy between the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) and the Italian Authorities with the support of the Member States of the European Union’, as can be read on the website of the Italian Ministry of Defense (https://www.difesa.it/operazionimilitari/op-intern-corso/jointoperationtriton/index.html ). The Libyans are NOT partners in Joint Operation Themis.

On the Frontex JORA database the case is present as Incident Id 631456.

It reads:

• “DetectionByFrxAsset Yes”. This indicates that the vessel was first detected on 14-06-2021 by a Frontex aircraft asset.
• “FrontexInvolvement Yes”. This is proof of Frontex involvement.

The second captured boat is also present in the Frontex JORA database. It is possible to request from JLProject the excel file with the summary of the Themis operations of the day.

There are also Whatsapp chats between Frontex and Libyan militiamen . Part of them were released by Frag Deer Staat journalists here https://fragdenstaat.de/dokumente/141605-chat_02-redacted-notepad/

There is also a photo referred to in the Whatsapp chat metadata, potentially taken by a Frontex aircraft, labeled 0000065-PHOTO-2021-06-14-07-09-23.jpg. The name of the photo suggests that it was taken at 7:09 (CAT or UTC?) on 14 June 2021. 

A Public Access to Documents request has been submitted to Frontex on 17 February 2025 for records relating to this case, including the photo referred to above. This case entry will be updated further to receipt of information / documentation in response to our request.

JLPROJECT EVALUATION

Some elements lead us to hypothesize that the Vos Triton took orders from an authority that directed the SAR operation and also the drone that flew over it.

We note that when the ship arrived in the area it initially did NOT rescue the shipwrecked people, preferring to remain at a safe distance from where it could control the boat and intervene quickly in the event of it capsizing.

But above all we notice the Frontex drone Heron Shoval (AS2132), which is the first asset to have visual contact with the boat at 04:30 UTC and which flies over the boat for several hours.

SOURCES:

– as a basis we used the report by Watch The Med (Alarm Phone, Sea-Watch) and Mediterranea Saving Humans) eng – ita accompanied by photos and videos.

We have integrated with:

– flight path data recorded by ADS-B Exchange

– landing reports published by Libyan accounts on Twitter and Facebook that include photographs

– testimony of Person M

– Frontex documents (Themis operation database and whatsapp chat between Frontex and Libyan militiamen)

– additional video and photographic material provided by Sea Watch

Timezones: All timings are given as UTC time (CEST – 2)

CHRONOLOGY

Night between 12 and 13 June 2021 : a wooden boat with 170 people , of various nationalities, and a majority of Egyptians, sets sail from Zuwara. (Source: testimony of the victims)

13/06/2021

Morning of 13 June: The Tunisian coast guard reaches the boat early in the morning. The group of 170 begs the Tunisians to continue sailing, pointing out the presence of women and children. The Tunisians accept their pleas and leave, allowing the boat to continue on its way.

The vessel sails north all day. (Source: Testimony of the victims)

On the 13th June, the Frontex drone Heron Shoval (AS2132) flies over the area north of Zuwara, crossed by the boat, but we do not know if it spots it. Probably not. (Source: aerial traces https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=4d232d,4d2376,407637,40785b,43ed4b,43ee5 5,06a1a0,acb856,acb856,353541,3b7b22,a11111,43eed2,320022,320013,33fda8,4d2444 ,406658,406870,4d0291,4079f3,a05fd9,3f6001,3f6008,4d20c3,4d20de,4d2117,4b111c ,4b111d,4b1bac&lat=34.424&lon=11.688&zoom=7.8&showTrace=2021-06-13&trackLabels )

Night between June 13th and 14th : the boat’s engine stops. Our witness, Person M, cannot say what the problem was because he was traveling at the bow and could not know what was happening at the stern. (Source: testimony of the victims)

14/06/2021

00:17 UTC : Alarm Phone receives the call from the boat in difficulty and records its coordinates:

N 34°13.079′ E 011°56.005′.

The vessel is adrift in international waters, just 6 nautical miles from the Maltese Search and Rescue (SAR) zone and the people on board report that their engine has failed.

Alarm Phone transmits the position to all authorities – Italian, Maltese, Tunisian and Libyan. (Source: https://x.com/alarm_phone/status/1404344948816764934 and https://x.com/search?q=from%3Aalarm_phone+since%3A2021-06-14+until%3A2021-06-15&src=typed_query&f=live )

01:43 UTC (03:43 CEST) Alarm Phone managed to contact the Malta Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) where an officer took the information and said he would likely investigate and initiate a rescue operation.

02:00 UTC : The Frontex drone Heron Shoval (AS2132) takes off from Malta. It usually takes off at this time. It is a spy drone, it takes off at night to be present at dawn on the routes used by boats fleeing Libya (especially on the Zuwara-Lampedusa route).

In the following hours people on the overcrowded boat repeatedly call Alarm Phone. They have run out of food and water since the previous day. One person has an injury and needs urgent medical attention. Alarm Phone is also told that several women are unwell and that “people are dying”.

4.30 UTC (6.30 CEST): Frontex Heron Shoval drone (AS2132) arrives above the boat, locates it and circles it for approximately 15 minutes. It then continues south.
The detection of the boat is confirmed by the Themis database compiled by Frontex.

5:09 am (UTC or CAT? ): the photo called 0000065-PHOTO-2021-06-14-07-09-23.jpg was presumably taken by Frontex and sent to the Libyans. The name of the photo suggests that it was taken at 7:09 am on 14 June 2021, but we are unable to establish the time zone of the device that took it. We do not currently have the photo but we think it could be an aerial photo taken by the Frontex spy drone. (source: chats between Frontex and the Libyans https://fragdenstaat.de/dokumente/141605-chat_02-redacted-notepad/ )

05:56 UTC (07:56 CEST): Alarm Phone contacts the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Rome (IMRCC). The Italian officer on duty confirms that the information and emails about the boat have been received by them as well, but says nothing about a planned rescue operation. The so-called Libyan coast guard cannot be reached by phone.

Alarm Phone tries to alert the merchant vessel Maridive 230, which is a few nautical miles away, but it does not change course.

07.45 UTC (9.45 CEST): Frontex drone Heron Shoval (AS2132) returns to the area of the vessel in distress and flies over it for 10 minutes, before continuing its reconnaissance towards the south.

09:54 UTC (11:54 CEST): The offices of the Italian Ministry of Defense respond to pressure from the Alert Network Med network by announcing that an unspecified “tug” is en route to the target.

About ten hours after all authorities had been alerted with a GPS position of the vessel in distress, the merchant vessel VOS TRITON, owned and operated by the Italian office of the Dutch shipping company Vroon, had changed course to the north and arrived on the scene.

Alarm Phone loses contact with the boat.

Sea-Watch’s Seabird aircraft heads for the case.

10.25 UTC (12.25 CEST): Frontex drone Heron Shoval (AS2132) returns again and flies over the area for 45 minutes before continuing eastwards.

11:00 UTC : Migrants on the boat see the Vos Triton arriving. The ship stops near the boat, without intervening. (source:  Person M testimony)

11:25 approximately UTC Some migrants throw themselves into the water, first of all  Person M, our witness.11.28 UTC (13.28 CEST) Seabird , the Sea Watch aircraft, arrives in the area and flies over the boat until 12.48 UTC (14.48 CEST).

Seabird spots the migrants’ boat alongside the merchant vessel Vos Triton in position N34°12′, E011°55′.

“Seabird was able to observe that the blue wooden boat with a white stripe on the side was heavily overcrowded with around 170 people on board and that the people did not have life jackets. Some of them had jumped into the water and were trying to swim towards the merchant ship Vos Triton.” (Source Sea Watch https://x.com/seawatch_intl/status/1404467433478541312 )

Seabird films everything. There is video footage.

The Seabird crew makes several attempts to contact the Vos Triton via maritime VHF (ships’ onboard radio), but no one answers.

The people in the water manage to reach the ship and board, followed by many others.

In the SeaWatch video you can see a small group of 4 migrants on the deck. They are probably the first 4 to board the ship. Person M is one of them.

Person M tells us that, once he got on the ship, the crew provided him and the other people who were in the water with white clothes. Probably sterile suits.
Person M kept this suit for a few hours and then got rid of it.

Circling the two vessels for nearly an hour and a half, the Seabird crew monitored and filmed the incident up close.

The VOS TRITON is now trying to pull the migrant boat closer to it using a rope.

Photo Credit: Sea Watch International

12:35
(2.35pm CEST), more than an hour after its arrival, the Vos Triton finally manages to tie the boat with a rope and take all the people on board.

The Vos Triton takes on board all 170 asylum seekers.

Awnings are erected on the bridge.

12:45 UTC (14:45 CEST) Seabird crew reminds VOS TRITON of its duties, but, as with all previous attempts at communication, there is no response. All radio communications were held, as per standard procedure, on VHF channel 16.

12.48 UTC (14.48 CEST) Seabird aircraft leaves the scene and sights other boats in difficulty

14.00 UTC (16.00 CEST): Frontex drone Heron Shoval (AS2132) returns to the area for the last time, flies over it but immediately turns back.

15:40 (17:40 CEST) Seabird’s radio intercepts a call to VOS TRITON, stating that the patrol boat Zawiya 656 of the so-called Libyan coast guard is on its way to the location and will arrive in half an hour.

16:06 UTC (18:06 CEST) Seabird heard on VHF channel 16 the Vos Triton communicating to the “Farwah” platform that the so-called Libyan coast guard would be arriving “on the starboard side” and that “all crew are in quarantine in their cabins”.

16:17 (18:17 CEST) Seabird crew returns to fly over Vos Triton

Seabird sees and photographs the patrol boat 656 “Zawiya” of the so-called Libyan coast guard as it approaches the Vos Triton.

By enlarging the photo we can notice that:

1. The patrol boat Zawiya 656 has no other migrants on board.
   
2. The bridge has already been abandoned by migrants, who have thrown off their white overalls.
   

The asylum seekers are currently below deck on the Vos Triton. In the SeaWatch video, a small group can be seen coming out onto the deck.

The Seabird crew tries to call VOS TRITON twice on VHF channel 16 again, but gets no response. A further attempt is made to convince VOS TRITON to refuse to hand over the people. Again no response. Seabird then has to leave the scene and return to land, due to lack of fuel.

From the testimony of Person M we know that all 170 refugees were embarked on the patrol boat Zawiya 656 of the so-called Libyan coast guard.

Night between 14 and 15 June 2021 : the patrol boat Zawiya 656 sails with the 170 refugees it has captured on board.

Patrol boat Zawiya 656 spots a new boat , wooden, blue, with about 100 people on board. It captures them too. (Source: our witness person M).

15/06/2021

The next morning the Libyan patrol boat disembarks everyone at the port of Tripoli.

UNHCR appear to be present at the port. Tweets with photos https://twitter.com/UNHCRLibya/status/1405211662781751301?s=20&t=rNpkLUiSswcoMpEWvWsCag

A press release is also published https://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2021/6/60ca1d414/iom-unhcr-condemn-return-migrants-refugees-libya.html

Nb that the press release contains at least one error (they write that 270 people were handed over by Vos Triton to the Libyans. In reality we know that there were 170 and that the other 100 later boarded the Zawiya 656).The photo they published shows Zawiya 656 and it seems original. UNHCR may have taken other photos, which are useful for us to identify the pushbacks.

There is extensive documentation posted by the Libyans about the landing.

There is a first tweet from the Libyans, followed by others.
https://twitter.com/rgowans/status/1404887646837559303?s=20&t=F9x0rVMDmc_v6ffh5wN3Rw

The Libyans report the presence on board the Zawiya of 277 people (first they wrote 274, then corrected to 277).

In the many published photos, some migrants can be recognized still wearing the white overalls provided by the crew of the Vos Triton.

Libyans post story and photos of landing on Facebook
I libici postano storia e fotografie dello sbarco anche su Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0ASduoeL7WnzBjif9ou7xdWL93wD3auvmmALc5eBzcKHPCVsWWrSikTFrrsDys765l&id=102164141808842

According to our witness Person M, children and women captured during this incident are left at the port (Person M does not know where they will be taken), adult males are taken to the Gharyan camp.

On July 4, 2021, there was an explosion in the Libyan concentration camp of Gharyan. On that occasion, Person M managed to escape and took refuge in the mountains.

This case, with the identified victims, is already in the hands of a pool of lawyers who are initiating legal action.