Italy Decries Migrant Drownings, Funds Libyan 'Coast Guard'
Protests erupted in Rome after yet another boat wreck killed dozens of migrants, drawing attention to Italy's migrant deal with Libya. While media frames this as a tragic consequence, it conveniently skips the context: Italy actively funds and equips the so-called Libyan Coast Guard. This isn't about rescuing people; it's about paying an often-abusive, conflict-ridden entity to intercept
vulnerable asylum-seekers and return them to universally condemned detention centers, out of sight and out of mind for European sensibilities. The 2017 Memorandum of Understanding (renewed in 2020 and 2023) effectively institutionalized this outsourcing of human rights violations. So when Italy's government expresses sorrow, one might wonder: is it for the drowned, or for the inconvenient exposure
of their 'border management' strategy? These deals don't stop migration; they just make it deadlier and more profitable for those controlling Libya's shores. The cycle of 'tragedy' followed by funding the same actors responsible for the tragedy continues unimpeded. How many more bodies must wash ashore before Europe stops criminalizing compassion and starts addressing the root causes of
displacement, instead of paying dictatorships to do their dirty work?