On September 4, a migrant boat sank off the coast of Lampedusa in the central Mediterranean. Of those on board, only seven were rescued, according to the Italian coast guard.

The survivors, all Syrian males, were found clinging to the semi-submerged boat 18.5 kilometers southwest of the island.

They said they had departed from Libya three days prior, with 28 people on board, including children, before rough seas caused 21 of their companions to be swept away.

The boat is believed to have left from the Libyan port of Sabratha, with Sudanese nationals also among the passengers. Despite efforts, the missing remain unaccounted for, and air and sea searches are ongoing.

Further controversy surrounds the incident, as Sea-Watch, a sea rescue organization, claims it reported the same boat in distress on September 2 to both Maltese and Italian authorities but received no response until after the shipwreck.

Also read: Hundreds of migrants rescued in Central Mediterranean

Too little too late

Sea-Watch said its Seabird 2 aircraft had spotted a boat matching the description of the capsized vessel 37 nautical miles from Lampedusa. In addition, the number of people on board and the Libyan port of departure match the details reported by the Alarm Phone initiative.

Multiple distress calls were sent to Italian and Maltese authorities, but no timely action was taken, according to Sea-Watch.

The boat was last seen by Sea-Watch at 26 nautical miles from Lampedusa.

Meret Wegler, Seabird’s Tactical Coordinator, said in a statement: "From the air, we could see the boat low in the water and in a highly unstable condition. It is infuriating that those on board could have been saved, yet drowned due to delayed action."

Sea-Watch alleges that the delay in responding to the distress reports is likely to have contributed to the tragedy. A comparison of images taken by the Italian coast guard and Sea-Watch suggests that the boat spotted on September 2 was the same one involved in the shipwreck.

Sea-Watch claims it has "strong reasons" to believe that the boat in question is the one that sank 10 miles off Lampedusa two days later after it was reported to the authorities, on September 4.

The response from Italian authorities "came far too late," the NGO stated.

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Sea-Watch alleges deliberate delay

Following the tragedy, the Italian coast guard announced on X that the boat had sunk, publishing a video of the rescue of the survivors.

Sea-Watch criticized the Italian government for violating international maritime law, specifically the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), which mandates immediate assistance for vessels in distress.

The NGO's spokesperson Paul Wagner stated: "If our findings are confirmed, the Italian government and European authorities must be held accountable for their deliberate and unforgivable neglect."

Sea-Watch claims the delay in intervention rendered the Italian coast guard responsible for the deaths, while survivors remain in critical condition after losing relatives to the sea.

It is not the first time Sea-Watch has accused Italian authorities of violating international law. In April, the NGO criticized Italian authorities for pressuring its crews to participate in illegal pushbacks with the Libyan coast guard, arguing that such actions violate international law and could be considered crimes against humanity.

Previously, in 2022, European NGOs urged the International Criminal Court to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against migrants in Libya and the Central Mediterranean, accusing Italy and Malta of complicity for supporting the Libyan Coast Guard, which they claim has facilitated these abuses. 

The central Mediterranean remains one of the deadliest migration routes, with over 2,500 migrants reported missing or dead in 2023, and 1,047 so far in 2024.

Also read: NGOs condemn escalating administrative stops of rescue ships in Italy

Obstructing sea rescue

Under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Italy has taken an increasingly tough stance on the rescue of migrants in distress in the Mediterranean. The policies include laws hindering rescues, criminalizing NGOs and outsourcing processing of asylum claims.

As a result of such policies, several NGO ships are currently impounded, reducing rescue capacity in the Mediterranean. On August 26, the Italian authorities issued a 60-day detention order for the Geo Barents, a search and rescue ship operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), for alleged violations of maritime safety regulations. Five days later, on August 31, 2024, Italian authorities detained the Sea-Watch 5 for 20 days. 

Additionally, the recently approved Cutro decree, named after a deadly shipwreck, tightens restrictions on special protection status for migrants who don't qualify for asylum, further complicating Italy’s approach to irregular migration.

The Meloni administration's strict anti-migration policies, along with controversial constitutional changes, have faced criticism for threatening democracy and press freedom, causing widespread controversy in Italy.

Also read: Italian premier says 'illegal migration is enemy of legal migration'