The whereabouts of twenty-eight migrant women and children are unknown after being captured by armed men in speed boats off the coast of Libya. As reported by the Associated Press, 112 migrants were attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea off Libya’s coast when the overcrowded, rubber dinghy carrying them began deflating.

“unacceptable”

According to Doctors Without Borders (MSF), dozens of men and boys aboard the dinghy jumped into the sea when it began to deflate. MSF’s rescue ship, Geo Barents, reached the scene in international waters on Thursday and rescued 83 men and unaccompanied minors, including 70 who had jumped into the water.

The men in the two speedboats, who identified themselves as part of the Libyan Coast Guard, were nearby. After taking the women and children onboard, the men told the Geo Barents crew they would return them after rescuing the men but instead, sped away. Migrants reported that some of the armed men fired shots, though no fatalities occurred. The identities of the armed men remain unclear.

Maria Eliana Tunno, a psychologist aboard the Geo Barents said that what happened was unacceptable and put the lives of many people in danger. In addition, she expressed concern about the separation of families.

“They lived the horror of being separated from their wives and daughters, who were taken away.”

One man attempted to swim after his wife and two children, a baby and a 10-year-old. Tunno described the rescued men and boys as tired, desperate, and under shock, many bearing scars from abuses and inhumane treatment in Libya.

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