More than eights months after the Ocean Viking came under heavy fire in International waters in an unprecedented attack by the Libyan Coast Guard, no one has been held accountable. The patrol boat involved in the shooting — the Houn 664 — had been repaired and supplied through SIBMMIL, the main European-funded border and migration management programme in Libya. Since then, violence at sea has continued unabated: in September 2025, and more recently on May 11th, 2026, the Sea-Watch 5 has come under fire during rescue operations. In this joint investigation, SOS MEDITERRANEE and IRPI Media examine how European funding has contributed to strengthening the Libyan Coastguard despite years of documented violence against people on the move and civilian rescue organisations.
Based on leaked documents, procurement records and months of investigative research, Financing Violence: the hidden cost of European policies in Libya traces how at least €61.2 million in European funds were channelled into cooperation projects with Libyan authorities between 2017 and 2025. Yet almost half of the programme’s budget could not be trace. The report also documents the escalation of violence at sea by Libyan authorities, including shootings, dangerous interception practices and attacks against people in distress and humanitarian rescue vessels, while internal EU communications reviewed by IRPI Media reveal concerns over excessive use of force and the deteriorating relationship with NGOs operating in the Central Mediterranean.
Despite these concerns, European and Italian authorities continue to describe cooperation with Libya as a success and are considering further projects to expand support to Libyan authorities. The report sheds light on the mechanisms, actors and political decisions behind this cooperation, revealing the human cost of European migration policies in the Central Mediterranean.