A human rights case filed by 52 asylum seekers who claimed that they were returned to Libya on a fishing vessel hired by the Maltese government has been dismissed because a crucial technicality had not been satisfied. The group of 52 who had been pushed back to Libya on the fishing vessel Dar al Salaam had filed the case in 2020, asking to apply for asylum and to receive compensation. This meant that the court had no jurisdiction to hear or decide the case at hand. Some 34 hours went by after the AlarmPhone call, before the AFM engaged a private fishing vessel, the Dar al Salaam, to pick up the migrants. Two of the migrants died on board and the remainder suffered dehydration and malnutrition, as well as psychological trauma due to their delayed rescue.
