Migrants rescued by an aid group in the Mediterranean claim FIVE ships ignored them

African migrants rescued by an aid group in the Mediterranean claim FIVE ships passed them before they were saved – despite the 67 children among them

  • More than 140 migrants were rescued by an aid group in the Mediterranean 
  • They claimed before they were rescued by SOS Mediterranee, five ships passed 
  • The group included 67 minors, and were mainly from Somalia and Eritrea
  • It is believed that they were at sea for about 35 hours on a small wooden boat

More than 140 migrants rescued by an aid group as they drifted in the Mediterranean have claimed five ships passed them by without plucking them to safety.

The migrants, including 67 unaccompanied minors, were mainly from Somalia and Eritrea and were believed to have been at sea for about 35 hours on a small wooden boat that had no motor.

Over the past few months, southern European countries have taken a hard line on those rescued as they try to cross the Mediterranean, refusing to allow ships to dock and the migrants to disembark. This means commercial ships risk being blocked for days at sea, unable to carry out their business.

Stock image of migrants waiting to be rescued off the coast of Libya by a rescue ship run by SOS Mediterranee and Medecins Sans Frontieres

European aid group SOS Mediterranee said its ship Aquarius spotted the group on Friday. A spokesman added: ‘In a disturbing development, rescued people told our teams they encountered five different ships that did not offer them assistance.

‘This could be due to the high risk of being stranded and denied a place of safety.’

In June, Aquarius was forced to sail to Spain with more than 600 rescued migrants after Italy and Malta refused it permission to dock. Other private vessels, including a support ship for an offshore oil rig, have had to wait days until a country agreed to let rescued migrants disembark.

The Aquarius was still in the Mediterranean last night hoping to receive docking permission from a country. Nick Romaniuk, SOS Mediterranee’s search and rescue co-ordinator, said: ‘What is of utmost importance is the survivors are brought to a place of safety without delay, where their basic needs can be met.’

 

Advertisement



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk