Four non-governmental organisations have condemned Malta's complicity in coordinating pushbacks to Libya from Malta's search and rescue zone.

The Aditus Foundation, Jesuit Refugee Service, Moviment Graffitti and SAR (Search and Rescue) Malta Network, referred to media reports that pushbacks to Libya are conducted by Libyan militias in coordination with the Maltese authorities.

The reports state that Armed Forces of Malta have facilitated the interception of people in distress in Malta’s Search and Rescue Zone by directly providing the GPS coordinates of migrant vessels to the Tareq Bin Zeyad Brigade.

"We condemn and demand an end to these actions and policies which violate international and human rights laws," they said.

The organisations said Libyan militias have a well-documented history of trafficking and committing gross human rights violations against migrants, including torture, extortion and forced labour.

The Tareq Bin Zayed Brigade continues to intercept people in distress at sea in Malta’s search and rescue zone and forcibly return them to Libya where they are subjected to systematic human rights abuses in contravention of the laws of the sea and international refugee law, they said.

They called on the Maltese authorities to:

·        ⁠put an end to their long-standing policy of pushbacks to Libya by proxy.

·        ⁠immediately end all logistical cooperation with the Tareq Bin Zayed Brigade or any other Libyan militia engaged in trafficking and human rights violations.

·        ⁠stop hosting FRONTEX European Border Agency operations at Malta International Airport which facilitate the interception and forced return to Libya of people in distress from within Malta’s search and rescue zone.

·        ⁠rescue people in distress in Malta’s search and rescue zone and process their claims for asylum without delay, to fulfil responsibilities under international law.