SABRATHA, LIBYA ¨C Departures of migrant-laden boats to Italy from Sabratha, formerly Libya¡¯s biggest people-smuggling hub, have slowed to a trickle thanks to a security crackdown triggered by European pressure that ejected the city¡¯s top smuggler.
But the local branch of Libya¡¯s coast guard feels neglected. It says it is still starved for resources, unable to run its own patrols with only one broken-down boat, one car and no uniforms.
Sabratha, 75 km (47 miles) west of Tripoli, where people smugglers exploited gang lawlessness for years, was the main launchpad on Libya¡¯s Mediterranean coast for Italy-bound migrants, with the flow peaking in 2016 and early 2017.
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